Red College
by x.x.Cordelia.x.x
Summary: High school is over and our favourite characters are getting ready for a new chapter in their lives: College. Major Jisbon, Grigsby and Cho/OC. AU but still classic Jisbon and Jane arrogance. Rating raised for attempted rape.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

A/N: Another story. This one is set in college years. So our favourite characters are about let's say 17-19. Definitely AU. I wanted to do one when they were younger but I've read a few fics where they're in high school so I wanted to do something different. High school is over and they're getting ready for College. The name Queen's College is an actually school that I go to. It's the highest in the country and the highest in the Caribbean. So yes, I'm proud :)

Disclaimer: I've written this a hundred times, what makes you think I'll be any different this time? That's my fancy way of saying NO.

Patrick Jane sighed complacently as he neared the building he would be living and studying in for the next few years. He knew he wouldn't have any problems making friends, he never did. It was just something that came natural to him, that and his charm. The teachers would love him, he knew it. Since he was twelve he noticed that the opposite sex had taken a liking to him. It was odd at first but that was before he got used to girls asking him out and staring after him when he walked by. He wouldn't describe himself as egotistical, arrogant, maybe. It wasn't his fault he was aware of his good looks. Most would think he'd have limited amount of male friends because of jealousy or something of that sort but that was far from the truth. Back in high school he had countless male friends. He laughed inwardly, maybe that was just because of the girls following him around.

His father had brought him up well though. He never lied to get girls, never used them. He was quite the opposite: a true gentleman, a ladies' man. He smiled brightly before trudging up to the entrance of Queen's College and headed to get registered for his dorm number.

He walked up to the woman behind the counter and flashed his signature smile. "Good morning," he greeted her cheerily. The woman raised an eyebrow but couldn't help the blush from creeping to her cheeks. Patrick's smile changed to a smirk. She was about thirty with normal weight and height. _Not bad_, he thought. "Name?" she asked him, collecting herself.

"Uh, Patrick Jane." She murmured his name whilst looking through her book. "Ah, here it is. Mr. Jane to a room 305." She handed him the key and directed him to his destination. "Do you happen to know if my roommates have already arrived?"

"Let me see… no, not as yet. Have a good day Patrick," she smiled warmly at him. He returned the smile and nodded, "Will do." He was glad they hadn't arrived as yet. It would give him time to get settled. He didn't quite like the idea of sharing a room with two other guys but he decided it could be fun.

Grace Van Pelt sighed. This was not going to be good day. She had been dreading this day since she received her acceptance report. Of course she was thrilled to get in the school she wanted but that didn't help the adrenalin from pounded in her head. She was normally a shy girl. Some would say she was a rather "girly-girl" but she couldn't disagree, at least not entirely. Having a dad who was a foot-ball coach didn't help the pressure at all. She tried to be "one of the guys" and toughen up a bit but that wasn't her. At least the only positive thing she could see coming from her presence here was that it meant she wouldn't be back home.

Grabbing her bad off the ground where she'd rest it, she began walking up to the building. Hanging her head downwards in an attempt to avoid any conversation with anyone, she failed to notice the individual walking towards her until she was on the ground. Her books were scattered everywhere and she could feel a bruise on her knee.

"I'm sorry," she apologized to the guy beside her who was getting her books together. He raised his head to smile at her and she suddenly felt like something out of a typical teen movie. "It's okay," he said as he got the last of her stuff and helped her to her feet. Grace couldn't help but notice his amazing hair and his boyish, cute face. He had dark, short, spiky hair. His face was well toned and masculine yet boyish. She smiled shyly at his sudden awkwardness around her.

"I'm Grace by the way." She held out her hand. "Grace, pretty name." He blushed suddenly almost as if he hadn't meant to say it out loud, "Wayne Rigsby." He took her hand in his.

"It was nice to meet you Wayne, and again sorry," she said walking into the building. Wayne stood there looking after her in adoration before reality came to him and he followed her in.

Teresa Lisbon and Kimball Cho walked side by side towards their new school. They had always been best friends since kindergarten; he was like the big brother she never had since she was the eldest of her siblings. And so they were ecstatic when they found out they both got accepted to the same college. For Teresa, it was one step closer to becoming an adult and having a career so she could take care of her brothers and get them away from her abusive drunk of a father. Cho knew all about Teresa's father and the death of her mother when she was just eleven. He knew which days were difficult for her and when to lay off. Teresa turned to Cho and smiled, she was happy he was there with her. It hadn't been easy growing up. Her child-hood hadn't been like most, the typical dating, partying and hanging out with friends. Hers consisted of studying endless hours of the night, cleaning and cooking for her brothers and absolutely no dating. Boys were too much of a distraction, and she'd work way too hard to get where she was now. She was close; she just had to climb one more step. Just one more.

She sighed sadly; she really did miss her brothers. It would just be a matter of a few months before her first school holiday and she would get to see them again. Cho placed a hand on her shoulder and led her to the registration desk. Teresa smiled, yep, she was lucky to have him.

305. That was Cho's dorm number. He was aware that he would be sharing the room with two other guys. Oh well. They headed up the stairs in search of their rooms. Teresa was staying in 412, which was the floor above Cho's. They came to a stop in front of the door marked 305. Cho politely knocked on the door and waited for it to open.

"Well I should go," Teresa said to Cho. He nodded as the door opened behind him but neither paid attention, "I'll see later, okay?" He leaned in to give her a hug, both unaware of the blond watching silently. He caught a glimpse of the girl his roommate was hugging and tried not to choke. She was beautiful. The word did her injustice, she was like an angel. She had shoulder-length, straight, black hair with bangs around her forehead that framed her face perfectly. He managed to catch her eyes as she pulled away from the Asian and walked away down the hall. She had the most intense green eyes he'd ever seen. After she left, the guy finally turned around and acknowledged his presence.

"Hey. I'm Cho," he said reaching out his hand.

"Patrick," he replied taking his hand. "That your girlfriend?" Patrick asked Cho, referring to Teresa. Cho looked skeptical at first before he got what he was talking about, "What? No. She's just a child-hood friend, man." He moved away from Patrick and walked in his room. Patrick remained at the door staring in the direction which Teresa had vanished. A mischievous smirk played at his lips. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.

A/N: Be sure to review, should I continue? Like the idea?


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Don't ask.

The day went by pretty uneventful. Wayne was now the third roommate in 305 along with Cho and Patrick. The remainder of the day had been spent unpacking and now they all sat exhausted.

"You guys want to order pizza?" Wayne asked the guys from where he was seated on the floor. "It's like three in the afternoon." Cho said monotonously.

"So? It's pizza. Who cares?" He argued. Patrick laughed and Cho and Wayne turned to him, unamused expressions on both their faces. "What?"

He smiled broadly, "Nothing." They shrugged and returned to their conversation. They were still debating whether it was right to order pizza at three in the afternoon when a knock at the door echoed through the apartment. Neither seemed to notice so Patrick got up to get it. He idly pulled the door open to be greeted by the same girl he saw before with Cho. Although he did see her before, the site in front of him still took his breath away. She was even more beautiful—if that was even possible—than when he last saw her since now he had a clear view of her eyes and face.

He realized he was staring and Patrick Jane never lost his cool. If he were to woo her he'd have to at least say a word to her. "Hi," he said flashing her his signature smile, "I'm Patrick." He held out his hand. "Hi Patrick, is Cho there?" She ignored his hand. _Feisty_, he thought inwardly.

"It depends. What's your name?" he smirked. She scoffed. "It's none-of-your-business. Cho!" she yelled into the room after realizing she was getting nowhere with Patrick. Ugh, she knew his type. Rich, smart, handsome, egotistical and arrogant. She hated those.

"Teresa? Come in," came Cho's voice from inside. She tried walking past Patrick but he wouldn't let her. He had a hand on the door and the other on the wall opposite the door, enclosing her between him. "Let me go." She tried pushing him into the door but it only served to cause herself to be pressed up against him. He smirked at her sudden discomfort before yelping in agony as her heeled shoe came into contact with his foot. He jumped back allowing her enough distance to enter. "Dammit woman, that was uncalled for," he whined whilst rubbing his foot. She stuck her tongue out at him feeling very achieved when Cho came up. He smirked when he saw his roommate exaggeratingly rubbing his foot and whining and the glare that his best friend was sending Patrick.

"I see you've met Teresa," he directed at Patrick. Immediately he shot up, a victorious smile lighting his face as he was pointing at Teresa, his grumblings about his foot only seconds ago forgotten. "Ah-ha!" he exclaimed. She rolled her eyes at him. Him and his stupid boyish ways. Cho exchanged a confused expression with Teresa and she shrugged in response.

"What's up Teresa?" She suddenly seemed to remember she came by for something. "My roommates and I—Grace and Cindy— were going to grab something to eat, do you want to join us?" She bit her lip, it was a bad habit of hers, and Patrick found it especially intriguing. When she found him staring at her she let it go but not without glaring at him first. "Sure," Cho said going to go grab his jacket.

"Did you say Grace? A tall red-head?" Wayne inquired from Teresa. She nodded slowly, feeling sort of creeped out by his interest in Grace. "Do you know her?" she asked carefully.

"Yeah. Well sort of. We bumped into each other this morning." Teresa studied him carefully. A small smile spread across his face as if he was recollecting the events from that morning. She couldn't help but smile. He had a crush on Grace. Maybe she could help him out. "Do you want to come?"

He seemed overjoyed of the thought. "Yeah, sure. Thanks," he replied promptly. Young love, she never had experienced what it felt like to be truly loved by someone. Hell, she never dated. Where would she find the time between working, taking care of her brothers and studying? She shook her head clearing her thoughts. Now wasn't the time to get side-tracked. Patrick noticed the saddened expression on her face but said nothing. He wasn't as insensitive as some people thought; he knew when to keep his mouth shut. And this was one of those times.

When Cho emerged from his room Teresa informed him that she invited Wayne. He nodded then turned to Patrick and asked the words she was hoping would never be said, "Patrick you want to join us?" Patrick's face lit up immediately. Just what he wanted: more time with Teresa. Then his expression changed into a frown, "Yes, I would love to Cho, but I'm not sure Tess here would like that very much." Cho turned to Teresa who groaned in response. Eventually she relented, "Fine. You can come." She rolled her eyes.

"Say please." Patrick's expression returned to his former cheery self. "No! No, I won't say please. Go screw yourself. And don't call me Tess." She turned, enraged, and stormed down the hall.

Patrick stood there, a broad smile highlighting his features. "She wants me," he said in response to the disapproving looks he received from both Cho and Wayne. "Yeah. It's so obvious she can't keep her hands off of you." Wayne rolled his eyes and followed Teresa. Patrick turned to Cho, "She's playing hard to get." Cho just turned away from him and followed Wayne. Jane smirked as he pulled his jacket off the rack and closed the door behind him. It was going to be an interesting night.

Shortly after, Cho, Teresa, Cindy, Grace, Wayne and Patrick all exited Cho's car and walked into a restaurant/bar called Retro's. It was a quiet little place just off of campus, perfect for an evening out. It was nearing 7pm when they arrived. The girls, or more specifically Grace and Cindy had problems with their outfits. Teresa wore the same thing she'd been wearing when she at the boys' dorm: a tight pair of dark blue jeans and a dark-green sweater. She didn't care much for clothes, or make-up, not like she required it anyhow.

Patrick couldn't keep his eyes off of her. There was just something about her that puzzled him to no end. He liked her. Of course, he liked other girls before and he had been more than positive than they like him back. Most were practically throwing themselves at him but being the gentleman he was, he never did take advantage of them. He smiled as he recalled a forty-something married woman once flirted with him. Patrick Jane never had to chase women before; he never had to woo them to fall for him. He just acted like himself and they kept coming, running more precisely. It was intriguing that Teresa seemed to be impervious to his charms. He sneaked another glance at her. He would break her.

Teresa turned consciously as she felt Patrick staring at her. She inwardly groaned, the man really needed to get over himself. So he was handsome, ok extremely handsome, so his hair was making her itch to touch, so he had a beautiful smile and endless charm. So what? Other guys had those things too. Besides, he was infuriating. She just felt like strangling him. She could feel her face burn and mentally willed herself to calm down. She just had to get through the night and then she wouldn't have to see any more of him.

Rigsby was walking especially close to Grace. She had been surprised to see him at her dorm when Teresa introduced them. She did like him. He was cute and he seemed to like her too. She turned to him and smiled. He returned her smile with one of his own. He was a bit nervous. Okay, he was a nervous wreck. If he thought she was beautiful that morning, then there was no way to describe the way she looked tonight. She was dressed in a peach halter top and a pair of black jeans. She looked breathtaking and Wayne was finding it difficult to concentrate. Earlier, he'd almost knocked over a very irritated waitress because he was staring at her instead of paying attention to where he was walking. He groaned recollecting the incident.

Cho and Cindy had immediately hit it off. They both enjoyed reading books in their spare time. They were leading the group in front, talking and laughing. Cindy was even more of a girly-girl. She like the colours pink and yellow and even had stuffed animals which were individually named. All twenty-three of them. They knew; she'd made them count.

"They're cute together, aren't they?" Teresa tried suppressing the shiver she felt crawling up her spine at having Patrick's face so close to hers, but failed miserably. Damn him. He smirked. "Yeah, they suit each other," she responded attempting to disguise the slight change in her voice she was sure was evident in her tone. Teresa could still feel his made breath on her neck and despised the way it made her feel.

They were all now seated and had already placed their orders waiting for it to arrive. If Teresa didn't know any better she'd think she was one on triple-date or something the way her friends were paired off. Grace with Wayne, Cho with Cindy and Patrick with—HA, she had to laugh, as if in hell that would ever happen. She could never have a relationship with that obnoxious pig-headed, arrogant—she was getting angry again. She turned her head to face to him and found him staring at her.

"What?" she asked him.

"Nothing." He shook his head as if dismissing the conversation.

She groaned, "What is it?" she asked more persistently.

He hung his head as if suddenly shy, "It's just—you're very beautiful." He whispered. Teresa scoffed, "Oh please, Patrick. Just how many times have you said that to girls this evening?"

"What? What that's supposed to mean?" Oops. She didn't want to argue with him. She hardly knew him! "Nothing, I—"

"You know it's not right to judge people before you know them." Teresa was surprised, he didn't sound angry at all. She didn't reply, she just turned her head away from him.

Shortly after, the waitress returned with their dinner. She set everyone's plates down and when she came around to Patrick she let her hand brush his arm. She smiled suggestively at him and he returned the smile politely. No one missed the exchange but waited until she was gone before saying anything.

Rigsby nudged Patrick as the guys' way of congratulating him. His smiled widened and he laughed. "Unbelievable," Teresa muttered under her breath. Patrick smirked and leaned in close to her, his lips almost brushing her ear. Her breath caught in her throat and she felt like a deer caught in the headlight, unable to move. He lowered his voice, "Don't worry Tess. I only have eyes for you alone." The rest of the group hadn't missed it but remained quiet, sending knowing glances to each other. When she was able to move, Teresa pushed him away desperately attempting to conceal the blush creeping to her cheeks.

The dinner was relatively uneventful after that. They all ate and were now in the parking lot about to leave when Cho delivered another set of bad news to her. They were leaving her! Alone with _that_! She looked over to a smiling Patrick and glared. Apparently, the love birds were going out for ice-cream and were leaving her. Okay, that was an exaggeration. They did ask her to accompany them, but she had declined. She couldn't afford to be out all hours of the night, that's not what she was at College for. Then, seeing as it would be Teresa alone, Patrick had volunteered to walk her home. She looked at his smiling face again; things just kept getting better and better.

A/N: Teresa's mean. Anyways, you didn't expect her to just fall for him did you? Don't forget to review. Take care, xxx Cordy.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

A/N: Thanks for the reviews guys, much appreciated. Damn, I've been neglecting my other story "Forgotten". Updates for that will up tomorrow, I promise. This chapter is for PatryTrusky who wanted some Grisby. Here you go.

Disclaimer: I hate having to put this each chapter, but I can't afford to be sued. Not mine, and by the looks of my bank account, it never will be.

It was about a few minutes to eight that night. Cho, Cindy, Grace and Wayne were all walking together, ice cream cones in hands, on the almost unoccupied street. It was rather late for them to be out considering they had classes that following morning but they had been having too much fun to care. Wayne walked side by side with Grace and Cho with Cindy. Cindy and Cho were discussing their favourite movies and they found they had a lot more in common than just reading novels. They were both into horror and suspense and Cho took that opportunity to ask her to a movie. She was surprised as first but promptly jumped at the suggestion. Cho was now smiling from ear to ear, something he rarely did. Cindy shyly slipped her hand into his and gave him a smile.

"They so cute together," Grace whispered to Wayne where they were slowly walking behind Cindy and Cho.

"Wha—what?" Wayne was startled out of his daydreaming. Truth was: he hadn't been quite attentive to what was going on around him for the last twenty minutes or so. It wasn't that he was uninterested in what she had to say, it was just—and he was embarrassed to admit—when he looked at her the time just seemed to slip by. Grace blushed when she realized he had been staring at her. She nodded her head, indicating Cho and Cindy up ahead. Wayne nodded in agreement when he'd finally realized what she was talking about.

"Uh—um, Grace," he stuttered and she turned to look at him curiously, "would you like to go—uh—go grab something to eat…. Sometime?" His eyes were darting all over but at her. Wayne might be buffed and all manly but he really was just a big teddy-bear.

"As a date?" she asked, quirking both her eyebrows. "Well, yes if you want it to be, but no if you don't." He was a nervous wreck. His palms were sweaty and his forehead was drenched in perspiration.

"Which is it?" A smile tugged at her lower lip.

"Yes?" It was more of a question than a statement really but Grace decided she'd take what she got. Besides the poor guy looked nauseous and was probably going to faint soon.

She smiled warmly, "Yes is good." When he visibly relaxed she took his hand in hers and he slipped his arm around her shoulders.

"Do you think Teresa's killed Patrick as yet?" Grace asked as she leaned her head against his shoulder.

"I'd bet on it," was his response, and they chuckled softly before silence filled the air.

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"Why won't you go out with me?"

Silence.

"Am I not your type?"

More silence.

"Is it because you have a boyfriend? Because I think I can top whoever he is."

Silence followed again.

"It is a _'he'_, right? Because you don't pin me for the lesbian type."

Even more silence.

"Wait, are you ignoring me?"

"You're giving me the silent treatment, aren't you!?"

Silence.

"Why won't you answer me?" This time his voice displayed hurt. Teresa stopped walking and spun around swiftly, fixing her steely, green eyes on Patrick.

"That's why it's called the silent treatment genius!" His eyes sparkled with victory and he pointed at her once again for that evening. "Ah-ha! You just spoke to me. You, my dear, have just broken the most important rule of the silent treatment game." His voice had that smug edge to it that gave Teresa the urge to punch him and mess up that annoyingly pretty face of his. She groaned in frustration and clenched her hands into fists. _Don't hit him Teresa_, she mentally chided herself, _it's very unlady-like_. _Screw lady-like_, the other half of her brain urged her on. She violently shook her head clearing her thoughts.

"It's not that easy to rid those mental pictures of me naked, Tess." He was smirking. She glared once again at him before turning around and continued stomping her way back to her dorm, which seemed like she'd been walking for hours when it was just a few minutes. Maybe that had something to do with the annoying and obnoxious blond following her.

Patrick jogged up so he was in her line of walking distance. He had his eyes on her face; she could feel them and it was making her extremely uncomfortable. "Wha—" she began to ask him but was cut off.

"Why is it really, that you won't go out with me? I like you. Surely one date with me won't be the death of you. I'm pretty good company."

"Could've fooled me," she muttered under her breath but sighed in defeat, "You want to know why?" He nodded. "I know your kind. Rich, egotistical, handsome-and-I know-it type, arrogant, insensitive, you've always gotten want you wanted, especially women, and the only thing you see in me is a challenge. Because I don't worship the ground you stand on, you find it intriguing to attempt to break me. You don't know anything about me so all I am to you is another pawn in your little pampered world." Teresa was breathing heavily by the end of her rant of reasons not to date Patrick Jane.

He was left staring at her. All through the insults she threw at him, all he felt was more want for her. When he finally did speak, it left Teresa speechless. His voice sounded sincere and raw and hurt.

"You're wrong," he tilted her chin to look him in the eyes, "You're more than just a pretty face, you're strong-willed, ambitious, difficult, beautiful inside, caring, loving and stubborn but definitely not a pawn. I've never met anyone like you and that's what intrigues me. You're special… in the good way," he laughed softly but she didn't.

Slowly, he brought her face up to his and kissed her. It came as shock to Teresa but she reluctantly allowed her eyes to flutter close. His lips were soft on hers, testing to see if she was okay with it. When she started moving her lips against his, he deepened the kiss, pulling her closer.

Teresa's eyes snapped open. She was kissingPatrick! What the hell was she thinking?! Her thoughts raged at her and forcefully she pushed him away. "I can't do this," she muttered more to herself before taking off in a panic. Her dorm wasn't much farther up ahead. She felt enraged more at herself than Patrick. Though, what right did he have to say those things to her and then kiss her? None! He had no right to be so alluring. But it was her fault; she kissed him back. She wanted to and it had felt so good. She hated herself for that. She couldn't allow distractions to get in the way, and that was all he was: another obstacle in her path. She had to remain focus on her goal, despite whatever it is she might be feeling. Entering her empty apartment she sighed before deciding on a hot shower.

Patrick stood in the same position he was before Teresa freaked out and left. He groaned as he ran a hand though his curls. He may just have made her retract even more. He really did like her, and he meant all he'd said before. But with his record, how could he blame anyone for doubting his motives? Tonight may have been a set-back, but he wasn't about to give up until she believed him. He pushed his hands in his pockets and slowly followed Teresa to the dorms.

Teresa laid on her bed facing the ceiling. Her body was exhausted but her thoughts wouldn't let her sleep. She silently cursed Patrick Jane. Since their incident that night she hadn't been able to get him out of her head. She wasn't as childish as to deny her attraction towards him, at least not to herself. She was sure she would find some excuse for her behavior that night if he ever did bring it up. The kiss replayed over and over again in her head and subconsciously she brought her fingers to her lips. She emitted a sigh before falling into a fitful slumber sure to be engrossed with Patrick Jane.

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Teresa stirred restlessly before jumping upright. She checked the time on the alarm clock and cursed under her breath after finding it was 9.19 am. She had forgotten to set the alarm the previous night and now she was already nineteen minutes late for class. Checking her schedule before rushing off to the bathroom, she found she had Calculus. Math on the first day. Perfect. She groaned as she exited the bathroom dressed in her skirt, shirt and tie and pulled her hair into a messy ponytail allowing her bangs to automatically frame her face. She grabbed her back-pack, skipped breakfast, and ventured off to her subject class.

Inhaling and exhaling deeply, she grabbed the door knob and pushed her way into the classroom. When she entered, all eyes lifted curiously. Immediately her eyes connected with the last individual she was hoping to confront for that day. Blue penetrated green and Teresa had to divert her gaze elsewhere. Instead she turned to the none-too-pleased teacher who was currently blowing down her neck. She was tall and sturdy, she had neck-length chestnut hair with dark eyes and she wore thick rimmed glasses. Teresa noted that the way she was dressed made her look older than she probably was.

"And why are you, miss…"

"Lisbon," Teresa filled for her.

"Right, Lisbon. Why are you late on the first day? Is this how you made first impressions? Because I can tell you I am not impressed." She fixed her cold eyes on Teresa and a shiver involuntarily made its way up her spine.

"Not at all ma'am, I forgot to set my alarm. It will not happen again." The professor nodded meekly. "Have a seat, Miss Lisbon."

Teresa turned and surveyed the class looking for an empty seat. Her daze came upon a vacant one but now way in hell was she taking that. It was directly in front of Patrick and she was not ready for anything he'd have to say. Scanning the room again, she finally found another. It was remote, but at least it wasn't very near him. Sighing, she made her way pass him and was about to take her seat when the teacher's voice stopped her, "Not that far, Lisbon. I won't be straining my voice for you. Come up more in front."

"But there's no other," she argued.

"Don't be ridiculous. There's one right there." Teresa was afraid to look where she was pointing. She already knew where. Grudgingly pulling her feet behind her, she made her way to the seat in front of Patrick. She didn't have to look to know he had that annoying smirk on his face. Grumbling as she took residence in the seat, the teacher retreated to the board in front of the class.

Turning slightly to the left as she felt something near her cheek, she almost toppled over at the closeness of Patrick Jane's face to hers. "Now that was unnecessary. All _that_ just to avoid sitting near me?" he whispered near her ear.

"Get back!" she yelled in a hush whisper. The teacher turned around at the sudden noise and narrowed her eyes at Teresa and Patrick. Teresa smiled slightly. It was going to be a long day.

A/N: Don't worry guys, they aren't getting together just yet. I wouldn't do that in the third chapter. A few more chapters then we'll see what happens. Any ideas for the next chapter? Help me out here. I have it all planned how they get together and after that but I'm having a little problem with ideas for the before part. Don't forget to review. It's late and I have the flu. My nose burns like hell. I'll get to replying to reviews for chapter 2 tomorrow, I'm really tired now. Goodnight everyone. Xxx Cordy.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

A/N: First of all, sorry for the long wait. I had some problems. Second, there's no second. Just enjoy.

She was seated on her bed completely spaced out. Her roommates were chattering about something incoherent to her ears. It puzzled her to no end that Patrick hadn't taunted her for kissing him back and claimed she harboured hidden feelings for him. He hadn't voiced a single word of that night, so that she was starting to wonder if it had even occurred or if she had envisioned the entire thing. It was almost as if he was mature. Teresa shook her and cleared her thoughts. It was only then when she heard what Grace and Cindy's conversation was about, that her interest was spiked.

"Wayne asked me out," Grace stated shyly. She was seated cross-legged on the floor and Cindy was positioned on a chair opposite her.

Cindy practically squealed with excitement, "What did you say?"

"I said yes. You should have seen him. He looked like he was going to pass out. He's such a teddy-bear."

Teresa smiled, she really was happy for Grace. Wayne seemed really into her and he came off as a nice guy.

"What about you?" she turned the table, "you and Cho were so into each other you didn't seem to remember we were right behind you two."

Cindy managed an innocent facial expression before she faltered and exploded into a fit of laughter. "He's so amazing," she said, eying Teresa warily before continuing, "we really hit it off. It's kind of creepy how much we have in common. He's taking me out to a movie tomorrow night."

The grins seemed permanently fixed on their faces and Teresa found herself enjoying her friends' happiness. Friends. She never thought she would make any of those in College but lately she found that she'd taken a liking to her roommates and also most of Cho's.

"What about you, Teresa? What happened between you and Patrick?" Grace directed to her. She snapped back to reality at the sound of her name. She shifted uncomfortably on the edge of her bed.

"Nothing, nothing happened. I walked back and I guess he followed," she dismissed nervously.

Cindy smirked, "The guy is H-O-T. If I weren't so into Cho, I'd--"

"Cindy!" Grace whispered disbelievingly before glancing sheepishly at Teresa.

She merely shrugged, "He's okay, I guess," she murmured, "he's more annoying than anything though."

"He so has the hots for you!" exclaimed Cindy. Teresa could feel the heat rising to her pale cheeks, "He does not! He's just flirting like he does with every other girl."

"Whatever," she dismissed with a roll of her eyes, "something happened; not nothing. You can tell us, we won't tell. Promise."

Teresa rolled her eyes with a sigh. "Fine," she relented, "he kissed me, okay?"

Grace gasped excitedly and Cindy gave a victorious smile. "Well? What did you do? Please tell me you didn't run away."

"No. I kissed him back, then I ran."

Grace finally spoke up, "Why? Don't you like him-like him?"

She groaned, "No-- I don't know. Maybe. But it doesn't matter. He's just using me and I'm not ready for a relationship."

"Oh."

"Horrible previous relationship?" Cindy asked in no way pushy. They were all silent as Teresa formulated her reply. Should she be honest? She wasn't ashamed of her no-dating rule.

"No. I've never dated and I don't intend to start, at least not while I'm in school." Both were speechless. It was quite difficult to believe that a girl with her looks wouldn't entertain the idea of dating.

"Who wants pizza?" Teresa decided a change of topic was necessary and both girls seemed to agree.

* * *

"What's the deal with Tess?" Patrick asked Cho who was in the kitchenette area.

"What?" he responded distracted.

"Dude.." Wayne trailed off in a warning tone. Patrick smiled before repeating his question.

"Her name's Teresa. Do you have a death wish? Just leave it alone," Cho replied whilst waiting for his grilled cheese to finish.

He pointedly ignored him, "She got a boyfriend? Does she despise the opposite sex? She seems to always be serious."

"She doesn't have anything against the opposite sex, man, just you," Wayne said with his mouth half full.

"Why do you care? You into her or something?" Cho raised one of his eyebrow.

"Maybe."

Cho turned to him with a dead-panned expression. "Stay away from her Jane. I've known her since pre-school. If this is a game to you and if you hurt her, you'll regret it. I promise you." He must have been dead serious because he had never made use of Patrick's last name before.

His playfulness suddenly vanished and he looked Cho in the eye. "I'm not playing. I know you all think that I'm this playboy, but I'm not. I really do care about her. A lot."

Cho nodded, "Just so we're clear."

After the tension died down they were back to making fun of Wayne's nervousness around Grace.

"..He looked like he was about to drop down," Cho related his story of the night Wayne asked Grace out. Patrick laughed and Wayne blushed bright red.

"At least I got the girl," he directed to Patrick who smirked in return.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next day was going great, or so Teresa thought since she had managed to make in time today, that was until she discovered her first subject was Pastoral Care. She'd always hated PC since high school and it seemed College wasn't much different. To her, it was just a failed attempt for student-teacher bondage. Her class consisted of Grace, Cho, Patrick, a Chinese twin named Sue and Yin, a buffed guy with flame red, spiked hair named John, the popular clique: Cassie, who seemed to be the leader, Trixie, a girl with short, cropped, raven hair and a Canadian girl, Pamela. Pamela was more kind and quiet. She didn't look like she belonged between them, but one could never tell. The others were normal kids and in total her class came up to twenty-two.

Everyone was seated, either chatting away or just relaxing, waiting for the entrance of the teacher. Patrick was leaning back in his chair talking to some girl. Not that she cared who he was talking to. The guy in front of her, _was it John?_, turned around to face her with a sweet smile. She gasped, he was beautiful. His intense gray eyes bore into her green ones, and she felt like she should divert her eyes.

"Hi," he said, "I'm John." He held his hand out to her and she took it.

"Teresa," she swallowed.

He grinned, "This really is a waste of time, isn't it?" She nodded and returned his smile.

From her peripheral vision she saw Patrick turn around and stiffen. The sudden lost of his smirk made her smile inwardly. Her smile faded when she saw the nervous look on John's face.

"What's wrong?"

He leaned in close and whispered in her ear, "Don't look now, but the guy behind you looks like he can kill." She smiled apologetically and turned to face Patrick. She felt guilty for a moment, he looked as if he'd been slapped, but they weren't dating. And wasn't he just flirting with what's-her-name?

"Patrick," she said. Breaking him out of his glare, he smiled charmingly at her. She smiled back and cursed the butterflies in her stomach.

"Patrick," she started again, "this is John." She watched as they reciprocated hand shakes and nods. Teresa sighed before turning back to face John. He had a questioning expression on his features. "Friend," she elaborated, "well sort of."

He raised an eyebrow, "Sort of? As in maybe more than, or less?"

"Less, definitely less." He smiled and she gave him a smile, one that didn't reach her eyes. She wasn't interested in dating John, well she thought she wasn't but flirting never hurt.

Just then a man she presumed was their class teacher, entered and all were quiet.

"Good morning class," he said in a cheery voice. He was tall and thin, about mid twenties with messy bed hair. He was blond and had gray eyes, and introduced himself as Professor Michael Carter, after which he individually requested the names of each student.

"Okay then," he started after the introductions had been made, "I was told to inform you of the Annual Farewell Ceremony we will be hosting for the grads in two weeks. You are required to be there, unless you can come up with a valid excuse. Now don't go throwing yourself in front of traffic just yet. That won't work, believe me, I tried," he whispered. "I don't even know why they call it a ceremony, it's more like a dance."

"So can we have like dates?" asked Trixie. He nodded.

"And what about the dress code?" added Cassie.

He smiled, "Anything, as long as it counts as clothing. And please, no cross-dressers this year. If you aren't aware of your gender, I'm sure the school nurse can help you out there." They laughed and he smiled. "Okay, we'll that's it for today. It was very nice to meet you and I shall be seeing you again soon." With that, he did a curtsey and vanished out of the room.

Teresa looked over to Grace who whispered "shopping" to her excitedly. She smiled warmly but inwardly groaned. She held strong abhorrence for dances. She hadn't been to one since kindergarten and had avoided them ever since. Especially Prom. She sucked at dances, she thought herself clumsy and would trip when she really tried not to. It was almost as if her feet despised her.

As the bell rang, she grabbed her books and rushed out the door, but not before catching sight of a smiling John waving politely at her and a blond glaring down his neck. _Great_, she thought with a roll of her eyes before pushing the door open.

A/N: I'm just like that. Whenever I try not to embarrass myself, it's then that I stumbled or fall. Once I got into a bus but my shoe remained out. The bus conductor had to stop the vehicle, walk back and get it for me.

I also know that these few chapters are really Jisbon centered. If you think so too, let me know. But don't worry, we'll have Cho's date with Cindy and then Wayne's with Grace; not at the same time, of course. I'm not forgetting about those two. And who else loves Professor Carter? Review if you'd like. I'd like you to like to. Xxx Cordy.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Disclaimer: No. It does not belong to me.

A/N: For those who are wondering, the John in this fic is Red John. I'm so sorry, I liked him too.

Information Technology. That was their second class for that day and Teresa found herself looking forward to it. Walking through the hall, she felt someone brushing against her and instinctively knew it was Patrick. She sighed before picking up pace; every intent on ignoring him.

"So.." he dragged on, "who are you going with to the ceremony thing?"

She halted in her steps and spun around to face him, but gasped and pulled back abruptly. He was so close, she could feel his breath on her cheek. Turning back in an attempt to hide the sudden blush creeping up her cheeks, she continued walking.

"No one. I'm not going."

He smirked before following in her steps. "Why not? It won't be that bad. Besides you have to have a valid excuse."

"I have one," she replied as Cindy walked up to them.

"Hey guys. You heard about the dance-ceremony thing?" Patrick gave her a bright smile whilst Teresa groaned beside him.

"Do you have a date milady?" He did a little wave and Teresa rolled her eyes.

Cindy giggled, "Sorry Patrick. I do, I just asked Cho. So we're going together." Patrick gave a feigned hurt expression.

"What about you Teresa?" Cindy asked her, but naturally Patrick butted in.

"Tess would not be enlightening us with her presence." He then leaned in so he could whisper to Cindy, "she doesn't have a date."

Teresa was fuming. How could he? That wasn't even the reason she wasn't going. "I'll have you know I do have a date." She quirked her eyebrows at him, awaiting his expression. It certainly wasn't what she was hoping for. He burst out laughing uncontrollably. The glare she was emitting could have burnt through his flesh.

"I-- I'm sorry," he gasped out between laughs, "but if that were the case my dear, why aren't you going?"

"Maybe I will," she retorted in a fit of rage but only after did she comprehend what she just said. "I mean--"

"Great! Then it's settled. You show up to the ceremony with your so-called date and only then will we all know if our Tess here actually knows how to loosen up a bit." He was about to exit with that cheeky grin on his face but she stopped him.

"That's it? Let's make it more interesting Patrick. If you can get a date with someone other than those dull, mindless girls that you usually pick up-- if you can actually get someone who is sophisticated with an actual brain to go with you, then we'll know if you're all talk and no game." A devious smirk appeared on his features, and Teresa wondered where that part of her came from. Seriously, the guy brought out all sides of her.

"It's a deal Tess, but while we're at it let's have a prize." She felt herself shiver from the intense look in his eye.

"When I win, you my lovely Tess, will go on a date with me." He chuckled at her horrendous expression.

"What? No way--" she started to protest but Cindy, who had been bemusedly taking it all in, interrupted her rant.

"C'mon Teresa. It's just one date. He's practically begging," she retorted. He silently ignored the last comment, his smirk never faltering.

"I told you. You're a kill-joy. Geez woman, you haven't even started working as yet and you're already so professional."

She glared at him and he smiled charmingly. He found he loved when she was angry and flustered. How her eyebrows would knit together and her nose would crinkle slightly and the way she always narrowed her eyes at him through her eyelashes. He inwardly groaned, she did things to him he would rather not think about.

"Fine. I think I can make that sacrifice if it meant that if I win I get to be Patrick-free for an entire month. Deal?"

His faux hurt expression vanished immediately and he nodded. "Deal." Cindy cheered and they all made their way to their next class.

Pushing the glass doors open, she ventured into the air-conditioned lab and took the only vacant seat up front. Patrick and Cindy soon followed and walked to the back. She frowned when he flashed her a flirty grin.

Soon the other students occupied the other seats and all eyes looked up when Megan, Cassie and Pamela graced through the doors. Teresa scoffed at the guys practically drooling. Walking with their heads held high, the better-than-you attitude practically vibrating off of them, they made their way to the back. Teresa's line of sight followed them to the back where she saw Cindy imitating a gag reaction. She chuckled softly and turned back to the front. Pamela wasn't all that bad. She actually was quite a sweet girl. She didn't seem to look down on the others and had even talked to Teresa civilly. She was just misguided.

* * *

It had been eighty minutes since Professor Issac had joined the class, and they had approximately ten minutes before the two periods of IT would be over. They were currently doing practicals on the computer. She was sure some weren't even adhering to the instructions and were probably chatting online.

A small dialog box popped out on the window she was on, disrupting her work.

_You have one new IM:_

_**ConfusedAboutYou:** Hey there Teresa._

Teresa's eyebrows knitted together as she scanned the class for any suspicious looking individual.

_**TL:** Who is this?_

_**ConfusedAboutYou:** Who do you want it to be?_

_She was about to ignore the individual and close off the window when another IM popped up._

_**ConfusedAboutYou:** Don't go. I'm just someone who really likes you._

_**TL:** Is this Patrick?!_

_**ConfusedAboutYou:** Lol. No. Were you hoping it would be a Patrick?_

_**TL:** No. Are you in the IT class?_

_**ConfusedAboutYou:** No. I have to go now. Be well Teresa._

_ConfusedAboutYou has logged off._

_

* * *

It was rather confusing and left Teresa Lisbon a little more than intrigued and somewhat worried. Whoever it was could very well be some stalker. Shaking her head slightly, she got up and gathered her books as the bell rang._

Walking to her locker and depositing her stuff, she almost bumped into Grace. The redhead held a warm smile and greeted her.

"Hey, I heard about the, uh, bet between you and Patrick," she started when they left for the cafeteria, "are you sure that's such a good idea?"

"What do you mean?" she inquired, cocking her head to the side.

"Well it's a game you two are playing and people tend to get hurt."

Teresa and Grace took their seats beside Cho, Wayne and Cindy.

"It's just a game, Grace, there's no way anyone can get hurt." She gave her a reassuring smile and started munching on her apple. Grace nodded.

"Hey Grace? Did Wayne ask you to the dance thing as yet?" Patrick emerged with his tray and positioned himself between Wayne and Teresa. She looked away and Wayne glared.

"I'm waiting on timing," he murmured quietly to Patrick.

"Meh," he dismissed with a wave of his hand.

"So," Cindy began, cutting the tension, "when are we going shopping?" The guys groaned and Teresa smiled tightly.

"How about this Saturday?" suggested Grace.

Cindy clapped her palms together, "Perfect! Aren't you joining us Teresa?" Patrick smirked waiting for her response. Just as she was about to fumble for an excuse, the heaven's parted and John approached her.

"Hey guys," he greeted Cho, Patrick and Wayne, "ladies." He nodded towards the girls, blush occupying their cheeks. He smiled.

"Teresa, can I talk to you for a second?" It was impossible for the others to identify the growl that Patrick had emitted but being pasted next to her, she heard it perfectly. She smiled. Let the games begin.

"Sure," she replied and left the table as he ushered her to a corner.

"I was just wondering..." She spaced out then. Her eyes were fixed on Patrick's. It made her feel warm inside at his jealousy. She never had experienced what it felt like to be wanted; it was a beautiful feeling. The jealousy in his eyes was unmistakable. He couldn't hide it even if he tried. His eyes kept flickering to where she was constantly. That would teach him to make fun of her.

… "So will you?"

"Huh?" she snapped back to what he had been saying.

"Will you go to the dance-ceremony with me?" His eyes were hopeful and she felt horrible for using him. Maybe she wouldn't have to. Maybe they'd have such a good time that they'd just remain friends. Surely she wasn't looking for anything more, in him or _anyone_ else.

"I'd love to." She smiled at his relieved expression.

"Thanks," he said sincerely. She nodded and he leaned in to kiss her on the cheek. She let him, it was just friendly.

After he left she returned to her table. Teresa rolled her eyes at the obvious expressions on her friends' faces. They were attempting to act as if they hadn't been cocking their heads just a minute ago.

"You're back," Cindy announced, "care to share what that was about?" She took a sip of her drink.

"John was just asking me to the ceremony thing," she said nonchalantly. "Ready to eat your words Patrick?" she raised an eyebrow.

He smirked and she found herself wondering what he had planned. "The bet was for you to get him there, and I wouldn't count my lucky stars as yet, my lovely Tess. Wait and see."

She found herself staring in space long after he left with Wayne. _Oh God, what did she get herself into?_

A/N: Coming up will be Cindy and Cho's date! Yes! AND we'll find out just who Patrick asks to the dance and Teresa's reaction. Those two are so blind. Oh, and more to come from Mr. Secret Admirer. REVIEW!

Off to write chapter 6 for Forgotten now.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Disclaimer: The Mentalist sadly does not belong to me. It goes to Bruno Heller and CBS.

A/N: This is dedicated to brucy an an apology for not mentioning you earlier. I hope you continue to enjoy the story, love. Xxx.

"How does it look?" Cindy gave a twirl from in front of the mirror where she was situated. "It isn't too much, is it?"

Teresa and Grace both emitted a groan as they looked up from the television screen for the umpteenth time that night.

"No it's not. Just like the previous thousands you've tried on already," Grace waved her yogurt soon for effect.

Teresa smiled, "I don't even know why you keep asking us. I mean, you've had on some really great outfits before and yet you keep changing, never mind our comments."

Cindy frowned.

"Where is he taking you again, by the way?"

"Some place for dinner, then a movie," she replied whilst removing her cream, strap top and black jeans. "He wouldn't tell me where exactly he was taking me." She sighed before turning to Teresa with a sweet smile.

"Um, Teresa..."

"No," she responded firmly, realizing what Cindy wanted from her.

She pouted, "Come on, please? What if I wear something completely ridiculous for the occasion?"

Sighing in defeat Teresa finally agreed.

"Wear a dress. Something simple yet elegant."

Smiling broadly, she yelped a thanks and quickly dashed into her closet.

* * *

A knock at 412 startled all three occupants in the room. One in particular was extremely jittery.

"Coming!" yelled Teresa.

"Oh my god, he's here!" That was Cindy practically bouncing off the walls.

She walked over to the door and pulled it open. Her smile vanished from her lips as she took in his appearance.

Cho was dressed in a a white button down shirt, with black pants and a open black jacket. He finished the look with a casual pair of shades. For lack of a better word, he looked hot.

"Wow. You clean up pretty nice," she commented when she was finally able to close her mouth.

He smirked, "So do you."

She blushed as he took in her appearance. She was dressed in a sleeveless gown that ended just above her ankles. It was white and body fitted to perfection. It hugged her curves brilliantly and Cho found he had a difficult time tearing his eyes away. He produced a single flower: a lily, from behind his back and she smiled as she waved goodbye to her roommates.

The venue was a simple Italian restaurant approximately twenty minutes away from campus. After Cho helped Cindy to her seat and took his own, they waited for the waiter to place their orders.

Conversation came easily to them both and they found they were enjoying each others' companionship more than they planned. After they ate, Cindy suggested they skip their plans for a movie and go beach walking instead. Eventually, their hands automatically mended together and a smile sheepishly graced both their faces. It was the perfect end to a perfect date.

* * *

The days seemed to pass with fleeting colours. It was now a little more than a week since Cho and Cindy's first date. They had had two more since then and things between them were looking quite promising. They held hands when they could and one would have to be blind to miss the fleeting looks they sent each other.

Even Wayne had stepped up and finally asked Grace to the dance. She was delighted to go with him and was quite eager for their first date.

Teresa would be lying if she denied that all the boy talk between her roomates wasn't getting to her. She and John hardly spoke much. She would only engage him in conversation when Patrick was around. She laughed bitterly to herself from her position on the sofa. That was the game between them. She'd get him jealous and he'd openly flirt with another girl in front of her for the same effect. She knew it was a dangerous game they were playing and couldn't possibly end well.

She sighed groggily. Everyone else was fast asleep while she was busily checking up on her brothers by email.

She hadn't had an opportunity to call them as yet and she found she missed them like crazy. She'd never been apart from them; she couldn't risk to. The thought sent shivers down to her spine. She really did hope to God that her father hadn't layed a hand on them and all was well.

Restraining the tears that threatened to spill, she pushed her laptop aside and got up for a walk in an attempt to clear her meandering thoughts.

She was casually strolling down the corridor when she heard some faint whispers. Her brows furrowed, she hadn't anticipated anyone else to be up. Teresa promptly contemplated returning to her room but nevertheless shifted closer to the door opening of the master kitchen area.

The whipers now formed coherent words and she was able decifer the voices. One belonged to Patrick Jane and the other, she wasn't quite sure... Until she heard a giggle.

Teresa rolled her eyes. Typical Patrick Jane. She cautiously rested her head against the door and peeked in.

Patrick was leaning against the fridge. One arm propping himself up whilst he was facing some blonde.

Poking her head in to get a better view, she was slightly relieved when she saw it was Pamela. Until she heard the next words out of his mouth.

"So, you want to go? To the ceremony-dance thing with me?"

Her mouth dropped and she narrowed her eyes at him, although of course he couldn't see her.

Pamela seemed genuinely surprised.

"Wow. Okay. But I thought you were going with Teresa."

_What gave her that idea?_ Teresa thought to herself.

"Nah," he dismissed with a wave of his hand, "she's too much for me."

Pamela smiled. "Finally someone Patrick Jane can't woo," she teased.

He smiled back, exhibiting his brilliant set of teeth.

"Okay," she nodded.

Teresa was so hell bent on hearing more that she failed to notice that Patrick had seen her. He then leaned forward and tucked a strand of hair behind Pamela's ear causing the pink to rise to her cheek. He had to stifle the chuckle at the pout that took over Teresa's lips as he said goodnight to Pamela.

"You can come out now Tess, I know you're there."

He watched with amusement as she nearly tumbled through the door after realizing she'd been caught. She quickly gathered herself and tried to walk casually towards him.

"Oh, hey Patrick. I was just--"

"No you weren't," he cut her off, crossing his arms across his chest.

"I wasn't--"

"Yeah, you were."

She gave up attempting to worm her way out of it and settled to glaring instead. He laughed and she subconsiously pouted in response.

"So, was that Pamela?"

He rolled his eyes playfully and smirked, "You know who it was Tess. And you already know I'm going to the dance with her."

"I do not, and I don't really care."

"Yeah you do, and you're jealous." If possible, his smirk intensified.

She snapped and walked up to him, "What? I am not jealous."

He took a step forward and it was then she became aware of their intimate position.

"You are, my dear, Teresa." He took another step forward and without comprehending how, Teresa found herself backed up to the fridge, a very smug Patrick Jane practically pressing up against her. She inhaled his cologne and found herself almost intoxicated with his scent.

"Patrick.." she whispered in a warning voice.

He brought his hand to her cheek. She leaned forward brushing her lips against his ears, "Why should I be, when I'm going with John."

His hand dropped and she smiled complacently, moving away from him.

"Goodnight Patrick," she called before exiting the kitchen.

He stood there, his thoughts on the little minx and the dance in two days. Revenge will be sweet.

A/N: Don't forget to review. Next chapter will be up tomorrow morning, or even late tonight. It depends. Hope you liked it.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

The venue for the dance was the assembly hall. They had decorated the place beautifully with gold and black balloons which seemed to be the theme. Little circular tables occupied the back of the floor leaving the remaining space as the dance floor. Music was softly being played from the college orchestra on the end of the hug stage. The podium was on one side and the other held seats for the graduating class.

Cute white napkins were folded into the champagne glasses and the cutlery were dispayed on the silk table cloth. There was a stocked bar, no alcohol, at the very back of the room. All in all, it was very elegant.

Teresa sighed as she smoothed down her dress. She was dreading the thing and wished she hadn't made the stupid bet. She had declined Grace's offer to go shopping and volunteered Cindy instead. She didn't need a new dress.

It was short; just above the knee. It was a black, 95% viscose and 5% spandex, halter dress. It was plain except for the huge beads that ran along the two straps. It was low cut and had a silver band with light green flecks that ran just under the bust and then flared out from her waist. Her hair had been clipped up, causing her bangs to frame her face.

She sighed as she looked at her face in the mirror. She really wasn't one for makeup, but somehow Cindy and Grace manged to get her to try some. Eyes were lined with black, her lids with eyeshadow and her eyelash with mascara. She wore a thin layer of pink lip gloss and lastly her feet were dressed in black stilletos.

Teresa reached over to her jewelry box and removed a necklace. It was silver with green encrusted studs which sparkled. She gently brushed a finger over it as memories flooded back to her. Her mom had given it to her for her eleventh birthday; just before she died. Blinking her eyes in an attempt to drive away the tears, Teresa slipped it around her neck. The doorbell rang suddenly and she moved to answer it.

"John," she said once she'd opened the door.

He just stared at her, his eyes travelling down her body. Teresa shifted uncomfortably.

"Wow, hey, you look amazing," he finally voiced.

She smiled, "Thanks. You don't look so bad yourself."

He was dressed in a grey suit and tie. His unbelievably red hair still spikey.

He grinned in response and gently took her elbow as he led her out.

* * *

Teresa hesitated as she peered through the door to the assembly hall, immediately spotting her friends. They had all arranged to be seated at the same table and looking over, she spotted Grace looking stunningly beautiful in her red dress talking to Wayne in his suit. Cindy was nowhere to be seen, same for Cho. She frowned when she spotted Patrick sitting at the table with a flustered looking Pamela who looked amazing in her light green dress. It was a bit longer than Teresa's and was strapless. Patrick looked breathtaking. His hair was tousled and the suit looked amazing on him.

"You okay?" John's voice laced with concern flooded through her thoughts.

She nodded and gave him a reasurring smile. "Yeah."

Teresa watched with delight, the change in Patrick's expression when they approached their table. His failed attempt to hide his obvious reaction to her supplied just enough courage.

"Hey guys," she called to everyone. Grace gushed over her appearance and nudged Wayne to comment too.

"Yeah, yeah," he responded, barely removing his eyes from Grace for a split of a second. Teresa smiled. Grace's dress was low cut like Teresa's but had thin spagetti straps. It glided with her when she walked and hugged all her curves.

John helped her to her seat and she smiled politely. She could see from her peripheral vision, a certain blond eyeing her date distastefully.

Shortly afterwards, when Cho and Cindy decided to join them, the ceremony was called to order.

Boredom was identifiable on each individual's face about an hour into the programme. Finally after the valedictorian said her few words, the ceremony was over and the dance begun.

"Grace? May I?" Wayne asked the red haired beauty after Cho and Cindy had already hit the dance floor.

She smiled, taking his hand in hers and followed his lead.

The tension raised significantly between the two couples as it was clear the obvious avoidance occuring between Patrick and Teresa.

"Tess?" Patrick leaned over to Teresa.

"Hm?" She was feeling quite confident. Victory was practically hers already, and then she'd have no more Patrick for a month.

"Would you..."

"Yeah?" she urged on, the smirk barely managing to remain hidden.

"Would you keep an eye on Pamela's purse for her? I'd like to ask her to dance."

"What?" She frowned, obviously not what she expected!

He smiled, "Thanks." And handed her the purse before grabbing Pamela's hand and taking off. She scowled. Damn him.

"John, do you want to dance?" she smiled sweetly and he nodded in response.

From their position on the dance floor, she had a good view of Patrick and he one of her. However, their partners remained oblivious.

She drew her arms around John's neck and watched with amusement when Patrick visibly cringed. In retaliation, he dropped his hands from Pamela's shoulders to her waist. She narrowed her eyes and looked away.

Steeling a glance and seeing him roaming his hands over her back and pulling her flush against him really did her in. She was jealous and couldn't understand why. The realizaton caused a jolt of anger to course through her and before she could control her actions, she had pulled John's neck down to her and was kissing him.

It was when he responded eargerly seconds later, that she comprehended what it was she had done. Shame, embarassment and most of all anger caused her to rush out of the assembly hall.

Patrick was shocked. He never would've thought she would take it that far. Somehow, it felt like his fault. He was the one to get her all jealous in the first place. Untangling his arms from Pamela, he muttered an excuse and rushed out after her.

"Tess..."

"Don't call me that! I've had enough. This isn't like me, I-I- don't go around kissing guys." Her eyes were trained on the ground and silent tears were straining down her face.

He took a step near her, "I know you don't. It's my fault. I should've have pushed you."

She laughed bitterly, "I can't stand this. Why are you so nice? Why do you care about me? You don't have to-- and yet you do."

"Tell me why Patrick. I'm confused."

He took another step towards her, "Because I--"

"Teresa?" John interrupted, sending an suspicious look to Patrick, "are you okay?"

"I-I'm fine," she responded, wiping the tears away. "I just need to get out of here."

"Tess..."

She gave him a fleeting glance before John escorted her out.

* * *

They had been walking on the beach situated beside campus for almost twenty minutes when they decided to sit.

"Are you okay Teresa?" John asked her, breaking the silence that they had immersed in since they'd left campus.

"What? I'm fine."

"It's just that you seemed kind of distant since our kiss."

She swallowed. She knew avoiding the topic was inevitable. "John..."

"Look, let's just forget about that, okay?"

Before she could respond, he was moving closer. Way too close.

"And let's just think about now..." he trailed off as he moved to hover over her, pushing her hair out of the way and letting his lips trail her neck.

"J-John," she croaked.

"Shhh," he soothed, now flush against her. She placed her hands on his chest and pushed him off, but he didn't go very far.

"C'mon Teresa," he sounded almost agitated, "don't be a tease."

She gasped when he suddenly crashed him mouth against hers. She whimpered in protest, unable to fight him off. He was too strong and his weight was practically crushing her.

"Stop. Please," she begged.

He scowled, and she found he held no attractive qualities anymore. "You didn't think I was going to let that blond ass get all of this, did you. C'mon Tess," he said in mockery, "I'm not stupid. I know you were putting on a show just for him."

He pushed her against the sand and was about to climb on top of her when a fist connected when his face.

"Get off of her!" yelled Patrick as he shoved him off and connected his foot with John's side.

"Patrick!"Teresa yelled after John had fallen unconsious but he was still pounding into him.

He stopped and looked at her, "Are you okay? Did he touch you?" She shook her head and wrapped her arms around his torso as the tears finally fell from her eyes.

His grip tightened on her as he rested his chin on the top of her head and held her as sobs racked her body.

"I'm sorry," she choked out. He smoothed down her hair and gently rubbed her back.

"Shh, it's okay now. I'ts going to be okay, I promise," he whispered as he pressed a kiss to her hair.

A/N: Review! Don't forget. I hope you like this and more to come soon.

Next chapter: Patrick's confrontation with John about a certain rumour he spread thoughout the school. It's going to be good, I hope.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

A/N: Okay, I'm confused. Some people like the idea last chapter; some not so much. Well, it's impossible for me to please everyone, so I'm just sticking to my original plan.

FanFiction wouldn't let me view, yet reply to the reviews for last chapter. I'll get to that asap, but I think you guys would prefer an update, am I right? As for those who are still waiting (patiently) for an update for Forgotten, that'll be up tomorrow. I had some problems with the content for the next chapter. It's not forgotten (pun intended), I promise. On with the story.

The drive back to campus was relatively quiet. Not a single word had been voiced since the beach incident.

Teresa emitted a soft sigh as she leaned her forehead on the cool window of Patrick's car. He shifted in his seat and chanced a glance in her direction. He didn't even want to envisage what could or rather what would have happened if he hadn't showed up when he did. He gritted his teeth and gripped the steering wheel tighter as he came to a stop in front of the college.

Her brain hadn't even registered her surroundings until her feet came to rest in front of Patrick's room.

"What-- this isn't my room," she turned to face him with a quizzical look.

"I'm not letting you go to your room alone, Teresa." He held her eyes.

She looked away, "I'm not going to be--"

"They're still at the dance," he cut in.

"Well what about--"

"Cho and Rigsby are with them too."

She frowned. "You really need to stop doing that," she said as she walked into his room. He grinned and followed her in.

"The royal la chambre, milady." She rolled her eyes but was secretly glad that some of the tension was gone.

Patrick walked ahead of her and sat on the couch, patting the area beside him. She begrudging dragged herself over and sat. She opened her mouth to voice something but was silenced by a finger.

"Be right back," and with that he sauntered off to the kitchenette area. After a few minutes, he returned to the couch with a bowl of popcorn and popped in a DVD.Raising one eyebrow at his choice, "Spongebob the Movie", she nevertheless welcomed the humour.

Forty-eight minutes into the movie, it still amazed her to see Patrick laugh, yes actually laugh, at every funny line he has heard so far, much to her amusement.

"What are you, seven?" Her voice laced with amusement.

He turned to grin at her. "No. Eighteen actually."

She rolled her eyes playfully, "Could've fooled me."

"Teresa..." She hadn't been anticipating the sudden change in his voice. It was deeper and filled with a sterness she didn't know he had.

"Patrick, don't," she begged when he turned off the tv.

"We-- you need to talk about this. It isn't healthy."

"I know it isn't, and I've been getting along just fine since I was eleven without your help, I don't need it now," she snapped.

"Just, promise me you'll talk to someone, someone you trust." He reached over and took her right hand in his.

"I don't know what I would have done if he'd touch you."

She cringed inwardly as she replayed the events in her head. Teresa could feel the tears at the rim of her eyes and felt her body shaking. She felt Patrick pull her into his lap and wrap his arms around her waist. She felt him whisper sweet nothings into her hair as her body began to relax in his touch.

"You never did answer my question," Teresa said between sniffles.

He smiled into her hair as her head was rested on his chest. "You never allowed me a chance."

"Yeah. Why do you? Why do you care about me?" She lifted her head to get a better look at him. He reached out to cup her cheek with one hand as the other remained wrapped around her.

"Honestly, I don't know. There's just something about you that I couldn't get over since I first saw you. You have this strong-willed aura, but I feel as if there's more than that. You're beautiful, smart, fiesty, daring, rude, confident and screwed-up and yet I still want you."

Teresa was thunder-struck. Never in her life had she had the pleasure of experiencing what it felt like to be wanted, inspite of all her many flaws. It was a wonderful feeling. She could feel her body moving closer to his; she had no control over herself and she found she didn't want to.

Cautiously, she sealed her lips with his. Her eyes fluttered closed when he started moving his lips against hers. He pulled himself upward to deepened the kiss further but pulled back afterwards, ending the kiss abruptly. She whimpered in protest but he silenced her with a finger.

"Teresa..."

"No, I'm sorry Patrick. I-I didn't mean to, I --" she interrupted him.

"Would you shush woman?" She frowned in response but he continued nonetheless.

"Believe me, you have absolutely no idea what you're doing to me but I don't want this to be a spur-of-the-moment thing; I don't want you to regret this. I want you think about it first and then decide. I want you to be sure you want something with me because I'm not sharing you."

She opened her mouth to speak but he silenced her again with a quick peck to the lips. "Think about it," he whispered against her lips and she nodded in defeat.

The remainder of the night was spent with each giving the other a glimpse into their personal lives.

Teresa was curled into him and was telling him about her three brothers: Conner, 16, Nathaniel, 13 and Simon the smallest was nine. Patrick was relaying a family story to her whilst idly threading his fingers through her dark hair.

Minutes later, Patrick woke up to find Teresa curled into his frame. Her head resting against his chest and her arm around his shoulder pulling him closer. He smiled before snaking his own arms around her petite waist and placing a soft kiss to her temple before drifting off again.

* * *

A mind numbing bang ran through Patrick's ear. He groaned and shifted but found something was constricting him: a pair of arms that belonged to the girl practically on top of him. On hearing the knock again, he shimmied his way from under her as much as he could without waking her and made his way to the door. He growled before opening the door. Who could it possibly be so early on a Saturday morning? _Damn,_ he muttered as he remembered that his fellow roommates hadn't returned the previous night.

Running a hand through his messy blond hair, he opened the door to be greeted by a stoic as ever Cho.

"Look, I'm sorry..." he started to go into an apology for the previous night but was cut off by Cho.

"Never mind that. It's fine. You're not going to like this," he said, glancing at his sleeping best friend cuddled into the couch then back at Patrick.

"What are you talking about?" Confusion was now etched across his face.

Cho then said the words that made his blood curl and his all the muscles tense in his body.

"It's John."

A/N: Not sure about the ending. I know I said I was going to reveal the rumour that John had spread but I had problem ending the chapter after that so I thought I'd end it here. However, I'm pretty sure you brilliant people can guess accurately what the rumour is. Review and I might update tomorrow. Don't review and who knows.

PS: Special thanks to those who reviewed last chapter. I'll reply soon.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

A/N: *dodges flying saucers* I'm sorry! I'm such a liar. I didn't mean to be, honest. I was supposed to update on Sunday but I don't know what happened! But I'm here now, and I hope you people can forgive me. Thanks to all who reviewed the last chapter. Really, it means a lot and I'll reply to them this afternoon when I get home from school, because I only now have time to post this before I go.

Teresa groaned softly as light filtered through her half closed eyelids. She hadn't slept this well since her mother passed away and everything had spiralled out of control. Stretching out her length, Teresa rolled over and yelped in surprise as she came into contact with the rough carpet.

Now fully awake, her head snapped up to register her surroundings. She wasn't in her dorm and she had fallen from a couch. She grimaced as the events of the previous night came to her but found a smile forming on her lips when she recalled being curled into Patrick. A frown took over her facial features when she ran a hand through her messy hair. Her dress was in an unpleasant uncondition and she suddenly felt filty. Teresa got up from the floor and thought briefly of returning to her own dorm to shower but decided against it. Her roommates were sure to be there and she wasn't up to explaining where she had been all night and what really had occurred.

After ensuring that she was indeed alone, she stripped out of her garments and walked into Patrick's shower.

A few minutes later she emerged from the shower in a towel and her damp hair loose on her shoulders. Rampaging through his closet, she came up with one of his shirts he used for school. It was quite large and long enough for her. It went just above her knees, concealing all necessary places. A sudden ring at the door had her unsure of herself but she nevertheless answered.

The sight infront of her was not what she expected.

"Oh god, Patrick. What the hell happened?" she demanded as she helped Cho usher in a very badly beaten up Patrick.

"Got his ass kicked," was Cho's reply before he turned to leave.

"What? By whom?"

Cho gave her a fleeting look before he nodded to Patrick and left. Teresa turned her questioning to Patrick as she led him to the couch.

"Who did this?" she pleaded with him.

"Teresa, please.."

"Damn it Patrick! Tell me." She was glaring at him now and he lowered his head before whispering.

"John."

She didn't want to believe it. She knew it wouldn't be the last she heard of him, but somehow she had hoped.

"Wha-- what do mean? He just came up to you and beat the crap out of you--- Oh god, Patrick. You didn't!" She was pissed. What was it with guys and their over-protectiveness? Sure, she like the feeling of being looked out for; cared for, but he took it too far! Instead he got himself busted up.

"I thought we would talk about it first. Why did you have to make such a rash decision without consulting me?! Instead you got yourself beaten up."

"You don't know what things he said, Tess," he mumbled, hoping she wouldn't hear.

"What sort of things?"

"Nothing, You're right. I should've talked to you first," he tried deflecting.

"I swear to god, Patrick. I'm this close to smacking you in the head," she spat between gritted teeth.

"Teresa..." His voice took on a warning tone.

"I don't need your protecting. I'm old enough to handle things on my own."

He sighed in defeat and lifted his head to her level. "Joh-- he was spreading rumours around campus." She raised her brows urging him on. "He was telling everyone that he had slept with you and was talking about it." He watched helplessly as her eyes soften before she let out an "Oh."

"Well, that still doesn't excuse your behaviour. You should've told me first."

"I know, I'm sorry. I just... snapped." He failed to surpress a groan as his wounds were finally telling on him. Teresa rose from the couch, ventured into the bathroom and returned with some cotton balls and alcohol swabs.

She returned to the couch and placed a few fingers on his chin, shifting his face to get a better view.

"It's going to hurt a bit," she whispered lightly as she pressed the soaked cotton to a bruise on his right jaw. He winced and she smirked in return.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

"What?" she asked with faux innocence.

"My pain. It brings you joy to see me in pain. Such a morbid mind Tess."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Her voice laced with amusement.

It was only then that Patrick really realized what she was wearing. She had shed her dress for his shirt, and he had to admit she looked good in it.

He slyly leaned forward and nuzzled his head into the hollow of her neck.

"Patrick," she laughed, "I have to finished cleaning you up." He shook his head stubbornly and the act caused goosebumps to rise on her skin. She almost lost her resolve when he started kissing his way to her jaw line.

"You smell good," he murmured, his voice hardly coherent. Teresa rolled her eyes and grasped his hair pulling him out from her neck. She failed to surpress the smile at the pout that overtook his lips. She reached forward and brushed her lips against his in a slow sweet kiss.

He groaned in protest when she abruptly ended the contact and replaced the venemous liquid-soaked cotton back to his jaw.

"Big baby," she added teasingly causing his face to break out in a charming grin.

"Cute shirt," he pointed out causing her to blush deeply. "Somehow it looks better on you. You should keep it."

She raised an eyebrow doubtfully, "Really?"

"Yeah," he smiled.

Teresa sighed, "All done," she said gesturing to his face, "a shower would do you good."

He nodded, stealing a kiss before rushing off to the bathroom.

Teresa remained seated on the couch when she heard him yell out, "You know, I make a really good omelet."

"Hm. Right," she called back.

"Seriously. Maybe if you're a good girl I'll make you one."

She rolled her eyes and waited for her boyfriend to finish showering.

_Boyfriend,_ she mused. She could get used to that. A boyfriend that cooks. Yeah, she could definitely get used to that.

A/N: Next up, it's the Grisby date! The others need love too. Of course Jisbon will be included. I just can't seem to write a chapter without them. Review! For an update this weekend. NO LIES, this time. I swear on my stuffed dog. Really, I won't disappoint you this time, if you don't disappoint me.

(Yes, Sophie Fatale, another threat! Lol.)


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

A/N: See? Keeping my promise here. Thanks for the reviews guys. On with the story.

Wayne usually wasn't one for petting zoos, but seeing the smile that broke across Grace's face was enough to change his mind. He had had a relatively difficult time deciding on a venue for their first date. He wanted to impress her and also make it enjoyable for her. The petting zoo was a wise choice.

Grace had grasped his hand in hers the moment they ventured into the zoo and was currently draging him to the different open cubicles with her. She really did seem to be fond of the koala cubs since she had spent most of her time around them.

They were watching the wild rabbits feed when Grace suddenly spun around to face him.

"Wayne?"

"Hm?" he murmured, distracted by the feeding rate of the little creatures.

"Thanks." She added a small smile to show her appreciation and leaned forward to peck him on his cheek.

"Ah, well... it's no problem," he stuttered as his cheek glowed red.

She grabbed some grass from the feeding bucket and gently fed one of the rabbits.

"Oh, come on Wayne, you have to try it!"

He looked at her with complete horror causing her to pout. He rolled his eyes playfully before giving in and reached for the grass she held out to him. He muttered something incoherent but nevertheless extended his hand forward to the rabbits. One cautiously approached him then eargerly started nipping from his hand. Wayne turned his smiling face to Grace and she reciprocated it.

"Ah, ow!" he suddenly yelped scrambling his hand away from the animal.

"What?" a startled Grace asked him.

Wayne groaned and turned an accusing finger to the carefree rabbit. "He bit me!" She rolled her eyes and grabbed his hand to ease the violent waving he was exhibiting towards the creature.

"It's just a tiny nibble. It's not even bleeding!"

He grumbled incoherently and Grace decided on a bold move. She swiftly leaned forward and sealed her lips with his. That ought to shut him up. She smiled when his murmuring was lost between their lips and pulled back.

She bit her lip, waiting for his reaction and was more than relieved when he leaned in for seconds. A smile formed on both their faces after they broke apart a few minutes later and continued their tour of the zoo.

* * *

Teresa was seated on the kitchenette counter top watching Patrick attempt his "incredible" omelet. He handed her the eggs mixed with milk in a bowl to beat while he grated the cheese and prepared the vegetables and bacon. He then added in the vegetables and meat into the already heated skillet along with the eggs a minute later. Patrick then turned towards her and grinned and she raised both her eyebrows in response. He then proceeded to skillfully flip the omelet and then lastly added the cheese.

"Very talented," she remarked in a semi-sarcastic way.

"Ah, well. I try." He shrugged and a grin highlighted his face. She rolled her eyes playfully and reached forward, lightly grasping the curls behind his head and crashed her mouth on his. He came to stand between her legs as he pulled her closer to him. She smiled and attempted to break the kiss but was pulled back by a very eager Patrick.

"Patrick... your incredible omelet remember?" She laughed between kisses.

"Meh. That could wait," he waved a hand dismissively and proceeded to kiss along her jaw. She closed her eyes but nevertheless pushed against his chest reluctantly.

"It's going to get cold."

He peeled himself off of her and took out two plates with forks and two glasses of orange juice.

"By the way, where are Cho and Rigsby?"

"Out. Rigsby's on his date with Grace and Cho is probably in the library somewhere. So, my dear Tess, you have no excuses to ditch me."

She raised her brows mockingly. "Why in tarnation would I ever want to ditch you?"

"Ha. Funny," he responded, approaching her with her plate and glass. "So, where do you want to do this?"

"Here is fine," she answered with a shrug. He handed her her plate and glass and joined her on the counter.

"This is pretty good," Teresa commented more to herself than to him, after taking her first bite.

Patrick looked at her quizzically, "There were doubts?" She gave him a look but ignored his question.

"Can you believe we have exams in a few weeks?"

"Yeah, but then we get to the holidays. Two weeks of Christmas, what do you have planned?" He took her empty plate and placed it in the sink with his.

The question caught her off guard. She rarely spoke of her family and when she did she always attempted to deflect from the personal details. Such as her dead mother, her drunken father and the frequent beatings she and her brothers suffered. Her plans? That would be to go back home and ensure her brothers were kept from being hospitalized.

"Um, well, I don't exactly have any. I'll just go back home and spend it with my family, you?" she added promptly.

"Same. My family's big on holidays. So, I have to go or my mother would be calling to scold me every day for those two weeks. It's really fun, though. It's like a tradition, every year we have different events planned for each holiday. My uncles, aunts, cousins, people I hardly remember at all, all get together just for the holidays."

"Really? What sort of events?" she asked leaning her head against his shoulder. She was genuinely intrigued. Her life back home hadn't seen any single holiday cheer since her mom passed away.

"Eh. Carnivals, dinners, dances, that sort of thing, you know?"

"No, I don't know," Teresa accidentally voiced out loud.

"What? Your family doesn't do those sort of things?" She shook her head and he wrapped his arms around her waist pulling her closer.

"My family.. well, we aren't exactly into the holidays and stuff."

"You should come with me then. Mom would be delighted to see you." She raised her head from his shoulder to look him in the eyes.

It was tempting, but her brothers needed her. "No. Sorry I can't. My family will be expecting me." He nodded and smiled understandingly. It was inconsiderate of him to ask, of course she would want to be with her family. Patrick really did want her to meet his family though. He never had felt this much for someone in such a short period of time.

"Some other time, Patrick." He smiled contentedly when she laid her head back on his shoulder and snuggled further into him.

A/N: I don't like the way it ended. I had a hard time ending it as you can tell. Well I kept my promise, even though it's late it's still Sunday. I'm about to get my new story typed up and I hope you'll give it a look. Review for an early update.

PS: It's my mother's birthday today! Finally she's 36. So I guess this is dedicated to her, although she will never read it. That's just too weird. Thanks for reading and hopefully reviewing.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

A/N: Okay, listen up. This is critical. I need to know if anyone minds if I up the rating eventually, like soon. So let me know if you'll be really uncomfortable with the idea. Just a thought, nothing is written in stone as yet.

The past few weeks had been stress filled for all six friends. Their exams had begun two weeks ago but on the bright side it was finally coming to an end.

After a few more antagonizing hours in separate classes, it finally was over. Their first two weeks of vacation was finally here and all the students were more than eager to leave as soon as possible.

Cho was visiting his nieces and grandparents for their annual family gathering, Grace was travelling back to New York and Wayne had been roped into spending his two weeks with his parents, their parents and about a few dozen uncles and aunts he hardly knew. Yep, it was going to be a disaster, he could just feel it.

"They're _so _an item," Cindy whispered to Grace who had just finished putting her books away in her locker.

She scrunched her nose. "Who are we talking about exactly?"

"Well, Tess and Pat obviously," she responded with a roll of her eyes.

"It is? They are?"

Cindy hooked her arms with Grace's and dragged her along to their dorm. "Yes. Don't you notice the looks they give each other? And aren't you the least bit curious where Teresa disappeared to after the dance?"

"I guess you're right. They have been acting weird around each other, well weird for Patrick and Teresa. But it could be just about that thing with John."

Cindy grinded her teeth together. She had only known Teresa Lisbon for a little over two months but she already felt like a big sister somehow. "Can you believe that jerk? I wish I could punch him in the face, then knee him!"

Speak of the devil...

"Hello ladies," a familiar voice said behind them. Grace screwed her lids together tightly hoping to make him disappear but Cindy spun around, pulling her along.

"What do you want?" she demanded in her best intimidating voice.

"Where's Teresa?" He ignored her question and looked over them attempting to see if she was hidden.

"How dare you! After what you said about her!" With each word she was poking him in the shoulder.

"Come on. It was just a joke," he said after Grace had tugged her forward with her. "I was just having a bit of fun," he added and then placed his hand on her shoulder. Big mistake. Cindy spun around connecting her fist with John's jaw. He immediately bucked to the ground clutching the side of his face. She didn't wait around to peruse what occurred then. She locked her arm with Grace's again and headed off to their dorms much to Grace's shock and amusement.

* * *

"She did what?" Teresa asked in disbelieve as Patrick related the news of Jonh's broken jaw to her.

"Yep," he nodded, "ducked him right in the jaw."

"Didn't she get suspended?"

"It's the holidays, what could they do. Besides, he deserved it," he added with a shrug.

"Well, yeah, but--"

"It's just a shame a girl could've done it when I got beat up instead." His head hung in shame, refusing to look her in the eyes. She rolled her eyes, she knew what he was doing. He was looking for pity. It was rather amusing and Teresa had to stifle the giggle that nearly left her lips.

"Yes, it is a shame. Such a strong girl Cindy is when you..."

"Hey!" he interrupted, "that's not making me feel any better." She smiled and walked up to him.

"Better?" she asked as she placed a feather light kiss to his temple. He shook his head.

"How about now?" She added another kiss to his nose. He shook his head "no" again. She tried in vain to surpress the smile threatening to surface and pressed another light kiss to the left corner of his mouth. Patrick sucked in a breath in anticipation. Never in his many relationships before had any girl rendered him completely helpless against himself as Teresa did with one innocent touch. He was always the smooth, controlled one in the relationship, not the other way around.

She tilted her head and began trailing soft kisses along his neck to his jaw line and his eyes fluttered close. She smirked against his skin as he let out a low groan. This was going to be fun. "Now?" she asked and he shook his head again in response. This time she shurgged and whispered, "Well, I tired," against his lips before pulling away from him abruptly.

He was confused, what the hell just happened? Just as she was about to walk away, he grabbed her arms and tugged her flush against his chest. The complacent smile was on her face and Patrick couldn't help but admit he'd been played. "You're evil," was all he whispered before he crashed his lips onto hers. This time it was her moan when he brushed his tongue against her bottom lip. His hands dropped to her waist as she opened up to him; tongues dueling for control.

"You'll be the death of me, woman," he said, pressing a sweet kiss to her forehead as she leaned her head on his shoulder.

He let himself fall back on to the couch behind of him, Teresa laying on top of him.

"I'll miss you," she murmured into his shirt. He smiled as he ran his fingers through her silky strands, slowly lulling her to sleep. "Me too."

* * *

A muffled ringing echoed softly through Teresa's ears. She groaned as she got up from the soft cushion, which she later realized was her boyfriend, and searched through her jeans pockets for her phone.

"Hello?" she answered once she had moved away from the sleeping Patrick and had ventured into the kitchenette.

"Hey sis. How's it going?" It was Nathaniel, her middle brother.

"Nate! It's so good to hear from you. I was going to call tomorrow once I had my flight booked."

"Well Tessy." She frowned at his nickname for her. "There has been a change of plans. Nana Becky called earlier today and asked for us to visit for Christmas. So..."

"Where?" she cut him off.

"Aspen."

"What?! I can't make that."

"I know, I'm sorry. It's just that Simon is really excited to go and you how hard it is to say 'no' to him. And besides, the last time we saw her was at Mom's funeral." Teresa could hear the tears in his voice. She sighed.

"No, no. It's fine. You guys go ahead."

"Are you sure sis? We can call and cancel if you---"

"No! Don't. I'll spend the two weeks with a friend," she fibbed. "Say 'hi' to Conner and Simon for me. I miss you guys a lot."

"Same here Tessy."

"Take care little brother. Love you lots."

After she had said her goodbyes and hung up she returned to the living room area where Patrick was still asleep. Smirking mischievously, she leaned down in front of the couch where he was stretched out and brushed her lips lightly against his.

He groaned in protest when the warmth of her lips was lost and shot up immediately, pulling her down to him.

"I was thinking," she started off as her legs straddled his lap and her fingers meandered to his shirt collar. "If that invitation of yours was still available." Her eyebrows raised expectantly, awaiting his response.

"What changed your mind?"

Her fingers stilled and she frowned. "Family dumped me."

"Ah," was his response. She hit him playfully across the chest.

"So?"

"So... I'd love for you to come. But I must warn you. They're worst than me." He added with a smile.

She feigned astonishment. "Oh God. Worst than you? Is there anything of the such?" He nodded.

"My family. And we leave tomorrow. Mom is very strict about punctuality."

"Well then," she said, "we should get packing and get those tickets booked." "Where are we going by the way?"

"Sacramento." She nodded as she stood up from him and walked to the door, Patrick following all the way.

"Night Patrick," she said as she walked down the hall to her dorm. He watched her go, before closing the door behind him. Tomorrow would be interesting.

A/N: Well this was long...... for me. Another update in just two days. Man, am I spoiling you guys.

Review, and an update might be up Thursday or even before. Who knows. Mwahhahah.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

A/N: I've decided to get this typed up early. From the reviews I received last chapter it seems that no one minds that rating change, but there's just one thing: I'm not very good at writing those scenes so if anyone is willing to volunteer to assist me, it would be greatly appreciated. Let me know in your reviews, or PM me. Enjoy.

"Tess would you relax?" Teresa had been fidgeting with anything she could get her hands on from the beginning of their flight. She frowned and released the bag strap she had been twirling around her finger.

"It'll be fine," Patrick reassured her with a small smile. She glared in response.

"I wasn't worried, I'm not." He raised his eyebrows challengingly but said nothing.

The plane made a sudden jerk and Teresa instinctively clutched Patrick's hand in hers.

"What was that?" she asked when everyone was resettled.

"Turbulance." She sighed a breath of relief.

"Uh Tess.." he pointed to his hand where her nails were digging into the skin. She let go immediately and muttered a 'sorry', offering a small smile.

After that the rest of the flight lasted another thirty minutes before the time came to vacate the plane. Patrick got their bags and headed over for a cab. They had been seated for seventeen minutes immersing into a comfortable silence when Teresa interrupted.

"Tell me about them. Your family." She leaned into his side and his arm encircled her waist. Patrick cleared his throat and begin listing his main family members. There was his mother, Scarlett Jane, his father, Johnathan Jane often referred to as "JJ", his twin sisters: Cassidy and Melanie, and his older brother, Jared. Teresa could feel the love radiating off of him as he spoke of his family. It was obvious the Jane family was an extremely close bunch and she couldn't surpress the feeling that she was intruding somehow.

"We're here," he said breaking her from her reverie and untangling his hands from her. Teresa waited as Patrick passed some bills to the cab driver and made his way up to her. The building they were currently standing in front of was huge to say the least. She looked up at him with a quizzical look to which he grinned and shrugged saying his dad was good at what he did.

The adrenalin pulsated through her every vein as he took her hand and led her up to the door. A few seconds later, the door opened revealing a little girl, about seven with blond pigtails. Her eyes travelled from Patrick to Teresa to Patrick again before breaking out into a toothless smile.

"Uncle Pat!" she exclaimed as she threw herself at him, her height only making it to his knee. He chuckled and Teresa watched with amusement as he picked her up and placed a sloppy kiss to her jaw to which she frowned and started rubbing the spot with her dress sleeve.

"Pat? Who is she?" Her voice came out muffled from his shoulder where she was stealing glances at the strange raven haired girl behind her.

He grinned and took Teresa's hand in his and placed a kiss to her wrist. She rolled her eyes and he laughed.

"She's a close friend of mine," he told the toddler, knowing she wouldn't comprehend the meaning of girlfriend if he'd told her that.

"She's pretty," she added and Patrick nodded in reply.

"Yes she is. I had to endure all sorts of insults and injuries before she even went out with me. Where's Ma and Pa?" he added at the confused look on the little one's face.

"Kiten."

"Kitchen?" As she nodded he took Teresa's hand and led them into the kitchen.

A shrill scream echoed among the walls as Scarlett dropped the bowl she had in her hand and ran to envelop her son in a tight bone crushing hug.

"Mom. Remember that thing called oxygen?" She smiled and pulled away from him.

"I've missed you so much. We all have."

Teresa took the time to study the other occupants in the room. His mother was a bit shorter than he was but thin. She had a great body and Teresa found it difficult to guess the age of the woman before her. She had long curly blond hair and grey eyes. The only other male there, was whom she assumed to be Patrick's father. He was situated right behind Scarlett and was currently clapping his son's back with a broad smile on his face. He was rather tall and muscular. He had mahogany coloured hair and blue eyes. He looked to be in his mid-forty's.

"Well who is this lovely young lady?" his mother said after their little reunion had occurred.

Teresa blushed bright red when Patrick hooked his arm around her waist and drew her closer to him.

"Mom, you remember I told about Teresa joining us. Teresa this is Scarlett Jane, my mother and Johnathan Jane, my dad.

Scarlett reached forward and pulled her into an uncomfortable hug whilst Johnathan was more subtle and shook her hand. Teresa smiled as they insisted on her calling them Scarlett and JJ. She nodded and was thinking how much she already liked his family. Well, those she had met so far.

"You must be tired, dear. Why don't you rest for a bit and you can freshen up if you like. That'll give time for the others to arrive," Scarlett said kindly as she ushered Teresa to one of the guestrooms. Teresa thanked her as she was left to her own room. This was new for her. Patrick's family was the complete opposite to hers. The love and cheer was too overwhelming.

Teresa immediately headed to the bathroom to wash up a bit, she was sure her hair was a mess. There was a knock at the door and she left to see who it was. Opening the door, she smiled at the sight of Patrick holding up her luggage for her. She moved away from the door to let him in.

After he placed them by the bed he turned around to face her. "Told you my family was weird."

"No. It's nice."

He rolled his eyes, "Well, just wait until you meet the rest of them. Speaking of which, dinner's at eight, so you can freshen up before you come down."

She reached up and kissed him on the lips.

"What was that for?" he asked with a raise of his eyebrows.

"For inviting me."

"You've got to stop doing stuff like that, you have no idea what it does to me," he said with a grin and a soft groan.

"What stuff?" Teresa asked mischeivously as she moved in again but he pulled away shortly afterwards.

He kissed her on the forehead before heading to the door. "I'll see you in a bit, okay?"

She nodded and began unpacking her stuff. She'd be lying if she denied that meeting the rest of his family didn't scare her one bit. She sighed before she grabbed her towel and headed into the shower.

A/N: Thanks for reading and I hope you review. Next up, is the dinner with Patrick's entire family and we'll find out a certain interesting detail from his past. I'll try to get it up tomorrow morning before I leave for school, as usual it depends.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

A/N: **Barry:** If you haven't noticed this is an AU fic so that explains Patrick's non existent "mentalist abilities". Further more, there was absolutely NO need to insult the other reviewers and frankly, as you hate this fic as much as you do then **stop reading it**. Your input was not "constructive" and inconsiderate.

A/N 2: This chapter is dedicated to Laura. Whose reviews prompted me to update sooner.

Disclaimer: Haven't written any of this in a while. Just so it's still clear, I don't own The Mentalist. If I did, Bosco wouldn't have died. I really did enjoy his character on The Mentalist for the duration of his stay. I saw him as a crucial part of the realationship between Jane and Lisbon. He drew them closer together and you have to admit Jane was a bit jealous. Okay, enjoy the rest of the story.

Laughter filled her ears as she made her way down the steps to the living room area. She paused, taking a deep breath and continued her way down. The laughter eased a bit when she made her presence known. Teresa halted in her steps, tensing under the curious eyes of individuals she hadn't met before.

She relaxed a little when she spotted her blond headed boyfriend making his way to her.

"Hey," he whispered and smiled warmly, "you look nice."

She muttered a thanks and he took her hand in his and leaded her towards the rest of his family gathered in the living room. He must have known she was nervous because he started rubbing mindless circular patterns soothingly into the small of her back with his other hand.

"Everyone, I'd like you to meet Teresa Lisbon."

They all chorused a "hello" and Patrick began to further introduce each of them individually. There was his twin sisters: Cassidy and Melanie, both sixteen. Cassidy was slightly shorter than Melanie and her hair was blond with light blue highlights whilst her sister's was just blond. His aunt: Sophie who seemed to be in her mid-thirties and was married to Michael. His brother: Jared was twenty-nine, married to Angela with their daughter Emily, whom Teresa recognized as the little girl she saw earlier that day. His cousins Abigail and Andrew were kids of Sophie and Michael, and his grandparents: Robert and Margarett.

"So," his grandfather, Robert, began after they were all seated together, "how did you meet our Patrick here?"

She smiled at Patrick who was seated beside her grasping her hand in his lap. "At Queen's College. He's sharing a dorm with one of my friends."

"Ah," the man said thoughtfully "I bet you went for him immediately. All the Jane men have that kind of effect," he said with pride looking over to his wife.

Margarett rolled her eyes at her husband, "Don't bother with him, dear. Their ego is another thing you'll find familiar in the Jane men too."

Teresa smiled and opened her mouth to speak but Patrick beat her to it. "Oh, she hated me. Almost lost a toe trying to get her name." His grandparents both laughed whilst Teresa blushed profusely. Great, now they'll think she beat up their poor grandson.

"That's a first," he said through laughs.

"Actually no. Remember Patty?" Jared inputted unaware of the tension that settled over them afterwards. Teresa glanced from Patrick to Margarett to Robert. Obviously the topic of "Patty" was a very emotional and seemingly disclosed topic between the Jane family, so she knew enough to keep her mouth shut. She was rather greatful when Scarlett asked if she could help in the kitchen. She nodded, forcefully extracting her hand from Patrick's and made her way into the kitchen.

"Can you help with the custard?" Scarlett asked her with a smile, and Teresa found it wasn't just the Jane men who had the charm.

She walked over to the kitchen counter and started with the milk.

"Patrick really likes you, you know," she said suddenly startling Teresa. She was at a lost of words. What could she say?

"I do too."

Scarlett smiled and walked over closer to her helping her with the custard. "No, he _really_ likes you."

"How do you know?"

"I'm his mother. We're gifted with things like this. Besides, he never has brought a girl home before."

How was she supposed to react to that? This was all so new for her. She eventually settled for "Oh."

The blonde laughed, "Don't be scared. This must be new for you and it is for Patrick too. He may act like he has it all under control but he's just as scared especially since it's a girl he really likes. Men, right?" she said with a scoff.

"Yeah, right," she said uncertainly.

"That's a pretty name you have there."

"Thanks."

Just then Patrick walked in interrupting. "Well, ladies. We are starving out there, what do you say we feed these hungry people?" He said as he placed a hand on his mother's shoulder and the other on Teresa's.

Scarlett chuckled and pecked him on the cheek before walking out with the turkey. "Aw, mom," he groaned and began rubbing profusely. Teresa chuckled and he turned to glare at her.

"This is funny, is it?" She nodded and he took some whipped cream from the custard and tipped it on her nose. She opened her mouth in shock and thumped him on the arm.

He leaned down and kissed the cream off her nose then proceeded to crash his lips down upon hers. Teresa moaned into the kiss, moving her hands between them and shoving him off.

"I've been wanting to do that all night." He said leaning in again.

"I've got a knife," she murmured against his lips. He pulled back, his hands in front of him defensively. She smiled and walked out with the custard, leaving him to carry the other dishes.

* * *

Dinner with the Janes' had been very intriguing. It was impossible to not notice that they were a very close knit family. They shared everything; no one was left out in conversations and the humour had been very enlightening. Patrick kept stealing small touches whenever possible. He would touch her hand, her palm, her arm or even entertwine their fingers together under the table.

When dinner was over Teresa offered to help Scarlett and the other ladies wash up whilst the guys layed back and watched the game.

"Dinner was amazing, Scarlett," Teresa said as she handed her a dirty bowl. She smiled broadly in return.

"Thank you dear. You're very helpful, if only the guys could get off their lazy rears and help out, it would be a miracle."

Patrick watched as his mother and girlfriend laughed together whilst cleaning up. His eyes lingered on Teresa, mesmerized by her beautiful smile and sparkling emerald eyes.

"You really like her don't 'ya?" He was momentarily startled out of his daze by the voice belonging to his father. He turned to him with a smile.

"Yeah.." he trailed off turning back to fawning over her.

"I haven't seen that smile on your face since Pat-- I haven't seen that smile on your face in a long while," he corrected himself, but it was too late.

"Dad, you know how I feel talking about her."

"I know, son. She really is beautiful, not just on the outside, I mean." If Patrick noticed the sudden change in topic, he didn't say anything. It was welcomed after all.

A grin overtook his features, "She makes me feel like anything is possible. Like all I need to do is reach far enough. It's weird. I love everything about her; her smile, her eyes, her hands, her humour, the way her forehead kind of forms a line between when she's upset, even her pissed off demeanor. I don't even notice other people in the room when I'm with her. It weird, and exciting and it scares the hell out of me."

He turned to see a smile on his dad's face. "Dad, is it possible to be in love with someone in such a short period of time?"

"Sure is. I knew I loved your mother and wanted to spend the rest of my life with her from the moment I first laid eyes on her."

Patrick turned back to Teresa and smiled, "Good. 'Cause I think I've fallen for her."

A/N: Wow, is this fluffy or what? I hope you liked it and the only way for me to know is for you to review. I think that's a pretty good hint.

Also, I hope you guys haven't thought that I've forgotten about Mr. Admirer. We'll hear more from him when they return.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

A/N: Sorry for the long wait. I was so astonished by the quantity of reviews I received last chapter. I must say thank you to all who read and reviewed :)

The thin sliver of sunlight penetrating through the half-closed blinds caused Teresa to stir. Her lids pulled tighter together in an attempt to block out the light and remain in her peaceful slumber. Eventually, her eyes opened lazily, admitting defeat. She rose from her bed and groggily made her way to the bathroom at the far end of the room.

She paused on her way to the shower to glance at her reflection in the mirror and emitted a groan at the sight of her hair in dissaray and her make-up a complete mess. Ignoring her appearance for the time being, she stepped into the shower and turned the tap to cold.

Teresa merely had gotten any sleep the previous night. It was something which had commenced a few months after her mother's death and had continued to present. She would fall blissfully into slumber only to be woken up a few hours later trashing widely wth beads of sweat trailing down her chest and back. She'd remain awake then until the early hours of the morning where the morning's drowsiness would take her back to sleep only to find her alarm going off minutes later. It was something she had gotten used to over the years but still had the same effect on her.

She stepped out of the shower and halted at the sink to brush her teeth.

After she was fully dressed in a long sleeved, cream coloured jersey shirt and a pair of light washed jeans, she made her way down.

Teresa paused at the doorway contemplating the sounds that came from the kitchen.

"Oh, hey there," came an unfamiliar voice. Teresa smiled and approached the teenage girl in the kitchen.

They exchanged greetings as she took a seat at the counter on a stool. "You're...?" she trailed off.

"Oh. I'm Melanie. Teresa, right?"

She nodded and examined the otherwise vacant living room.

"They're probably getting ready to go." Teresa gave her a confused look when she didn't continue but instead continued buttering the slices of toast.

"Didn't Pat, tell you?.... We're going christmas shopping today," she added at the blank expression on Teresa's face. "All of us."

"Sounds like fun." She grinned and Melanie reciprocated it.

"Holidays are a big thing around here, aren't they?"

"Mom and Dad are practically obsessed with 'family bonding'." She made air quotes to emphasize her point.

"What's college like?" Melanie asked suddenly, changing the topic.

"Well.. it's ok I guess. The work is a lot harder than highschool, much harder than I predicted but it's fine."

She finished the toasts and handed Teresa a plate.

"I'm not going. I plan to start my own business after college."

"Really? What kind of business?"

"Oh, I'm thinking something small. Like my own little restaurant. But I'll be the entertainment and I'll hire a few people to help me out."

"Entertainment?" Teresa raised her eyebrow inquiringly.

Melanie rolled her eyes. "I'm not going to be stripper, if that's what you're thinking. I'll sing, I'm pretty good at that."

"Your parents know about your plans?"

"No," she said between bites, "they'll freak." She laughed and Teresa found it infectious, joining in as well.

"Melanie?"

"Call me Mel," she interrupted, "all my friends do. And I'd like to be friends with the girl my brother is dating."

Teresa grinned. "I'd like that." She cleared her throat to prepare for the question she was about to ask and the response it might have. "Mel... who's Patty?" It was obvious she hadn't been expecting the question. Her smile vapourized into the atmosphere and she diverted her eyes elsewhere.

"P-Patty?.... She's- I don't think I'm the right one to tell. Maybe you should ask Patrick."

"Ask Patrick what?" Just then Patrick himself emerged from the steps carrying Emily in his arms. The little one then started chanting "Pat. Pat. Pat." over and over again. He grinned at Teresa and reached over to kiss his sister on her cheek whilst stealing a toast from her. He then walked over to the other side of the counter and pressed his lips to Teresa's, smiling against her lips at the groan of disgust his sister had emitted.

"Tessa!" Emily exclaimed, wriggling her way out of Patrick's arm into Teresa's. She laughed and supported the seven year who had practically jumped into her arms.

"Traitor." Patrick whispered and narrowed his eyes playfully at the little girl. Emily stuck her tongue out and wrapped her arms around Teresa's neck. All three chuckled together when the rest of the family joined them for breakfast.

* * *

The day had been pretty eventful and hence tiresome. Teresa was sitting upright in bed with a book. They had done a lot of shopping and decorating. The enormous tree was up and brilliantly decorated, bells, shiny bulbs, runners and all other sorts of colourful decorations hung around the living, kitchen rooms and hallways.

It had been a lot of fun and Teresa found herself even more drawn to Patrick's family. She felt almost part of their family which brought her back to the family she once had.

"_Daddy!" a seven year old Teresa whined to get the attention of her father._

"_What is it honey?" Rabindranauth Lisbon came rushing over to his daughter._

"_Conner bit me." Her eyes welled up with unshed tears as she looked at her father with big glossy eyes._

"_He did?" he comforted, taking her finger in his hand and looking at the invisible bite mark she insisted was there. "Here," he said and then placed a feather light kiss on the tip of her finger. "Better buttercup?"_

_She nodded, a smile lightening up her features as her mother, Amanda Lisbon, came in with the turkey. Her dad rose from his kneeling position and made his way over to his wife, taking the dish from her and touching his lips to hers._

_Teresa diverted her interest from the boring adults to her two-year old little brother, Nathaniel. She then came to a conclusion that Nate was now her favourite brother after checking his bitty teeth and clarifying that he couldn't bite her._

Subconciously tears began slipping past her closed eye-lids as the memories came flodding back to her. She had tried so hard to shield herself from her past and it worked. She hadn't cried for almost a year now but this visit to Patrick's was slowly tearing open those wounds.

She sighed heavily when a knock interrupted her thoughts. She made her way to the door, drying her tears along the way. She unlocked it and pulled it open to reveal a grinning Patrick, whose grin was lost when he saw the remainder of her tears. Obviously she didn't do as well of a job as she thought she did of ridding them.

"Tess, what's wrong?"

"What?" she asked startled, dragging her hand across her cheeks.

"Don't lie to me. I know you've been crying. And if you try to deny it," he interrupted her when she opened her mouth, "you just proved me right a second ago when you subconciously rubbed at your eyes."

"Ass," she muttered and retreated into her room to sit on her bed.

He grinned, closing the door behind him and followed her in, standing just beside her bed.

"Tess..."

"I'm just-- It's--" she sighed. How was she supposed to start? "My mom died when I was eleven, okay?"

Patrick for once was speechless. What the hell was he supposed to say? Oh, god. And he invited her to his parents place for christmas. Such an ass!

"I'm-- I didn't know. This must be hard for you."

She nodded and he sat down beside her on the bed. The tears began to fall again and he couldn't take it anymore. He pulled her flush against his chest, burying her head in his shoulder. He couldn't say he understood what it felt like, he didn't and he wasn't about to try because he couldn't.

Patrick threaded his fingers through her hair soothingly. Her crying stopped and she mumbled something that sounded vaguely like 'You smell good'. He chuckled against her hair and Teresa moved her head from his shoulder to his neck then to his mouth. She took him by surprise, kissing him with all the fire inside of her. She licked his lower lip causing him to open up. He kissed her back, slowing down the pace to which she groaned in frustration. She moved her hand to his chest, not even breaking apart as she began undoing the first few bottons.

"Teresa..." he murmured warningly against her lips.

"I know you want me Patrick. I can see it in your eyes; the way you look at me."

Patrick broke the kiss and looked at her. Her eyes were glazed over with unshed tears she was visibly fighting to keep back. The lust, hurt, want, need, pleading shone through those green eyes. But it was the hurt that stood out more to him. She wanted him to hurt her emotionally. She was afraid of getting too close so she was looking for a reason to push him away.

He shook his head and threaded his fingers through the ones on his shirt. "No," he whispered, "I won't hurt you. Never."

Teresa bit her bottom lip in an attempt to withold the tears to no avail. They finally spilled over and she couldn't hold back anymore. He pulled her against his chest again and leaned back against her pillows, cradling her in his arms. He didn't know what she went through in her childhood but he would keep her safe now.

An hour later, both Teresa and Patrick had finally succumbed to sleep. He was never a deep sleeper and so he didn't miss the faint, drowsy "Thank you" she uttered before he finally gave in to exhaustion.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Teresa rolled unto her back as a soft sigh escaped her lips. That night was the first she'd ever slept through peacefully. The first that didn't entail wild trashing and uncomfortable groans. The first which wasn't plagued with snapshots of her mother's accident.

She smiled and closed her eyes, revelling in the morning's warmth. She stretched her length on the bed and her arm brushed against a warm body. Teresa smiled again--- wait what? She immediately shot into a sitting position, hands clutching the duvet to her body instinctively as emerald eyes frantically scanned the bed.

She relaxed when she realized it was Patrick, but forrowed her brows afterwards. What was he doing in her bed? She peeked down at herself and was relieved to find her clothes still in check. Then it all came back to her: crying over her family, Patrick at her door, her practically breaking down in front of him –she groaned– comforting her and-- god, she threw herself at him! Teresa scrunched her nose, disgusted with herself. What did he think of her now? Wait-- her clothes were still on which meant nothing happened. He didn't--. She sighed as she drew a lazy finger across his cheek and smiled in amusement when his cheek twitched.

She hated to admit that Patrick not taking advantage of her in her volunerable state was a huge turn on. He respected her and that made her fall in love with him all over again. Her finger stilled on his cheek as realization of what she'd just admitted to herself washed over her. She... loved him? When the hell did that happened?!

Slight movement against her forced the epiphany to the back of her head for now. Patrick's leg brushed against hers and looking down, Teresa finally noticed their limbs entangled together in a very.. uh intimate way. His leg was sandwiched between hers and his other was thrown over her thigh.

Heat rose to her cheeks and she cursed under her breath when he shifted again, his arm around her waist pulling her half on top of him. She froze for a moment and surveyed his face. His exquisite features were relaxed and angelic making her fingers itch to touch him again. Caustiously reaching out, she placed her index finger along his forehead and began gently trailing a path to his jaw then to his chin. Her eyes caught his perfect, pouting pink lips and all restraint was lost. Teresa dipped her head down slowly and paused just above his lips. She could feel the tiny puffs of breath he emitted against her cheek and smiled before finally sealing her lips against his.

She didn't anticipate the shock that her boyfriend woke with. His eyes snapped open at the feel of something pressing against him. He didn't anticipate the figure above him and so pulled away swiftly with a little too much force. The next thing he knew, he was rolling off the bed and unto the floor with an "ooff". Luckily something soft broke his fall. That something soft happened to be his pissed girlfriend.

"Hi," Patrick said sheepishly studying the brunette beneath him.

"_That_, Patrick Benjamin Jane," he frowned at his hated middle name, "is _the_ last time I'm kissing you. Now get off me." She glared at him and Patrick wondered if she actually thought she looked any bit intimidating.

He pretended to ponder her request, "Uh, no," he grinned.

She slapped his arm, "I swear Patrick---"

"What?" he said, his eyebrows raising challenging.

She glared at him before attempting to wriggle her way out from under him. Patrick barely managed to stifle a groan at the effect her actions were having on his body. Finally when he'd had enough he placed his hands on her waist bringing her wriggling to a halt.

"Hold still woman."

"Why?" she glared at him, "You won't let me go." She started wriggling again. Patrick rolled his eyes at her failed attempts of escaping and pinned her hands above her head playfully.

"So I can do this." He then started at her neck, placing open mouthed kisses, and began making his way to her jaw.

Teresa pulled her lids closed tightly in an attempt to surpress a moan threatening to make just how much of an effect he had on her, known.

"Tess..." he growled teasingly. She pouted and shook her head. He ignored her and placed a feathery light kiss to her temple, then one to her nose before coming to hover just above her awaiting lips.

"Teresa...," he whispered, "open your eyes for me." She shook her head and he had to chuckle at her obstinance.

"Open them," Patrick commanded gently. Her eyes fluttered open, her green eyes reflecting in his blue ones. Teresa sucked in a breath at the intensity she felt at the way he was looking at her. She only had a second to process her thoughts when his lips came crashing down upon hers. It was sweet and languid, displaying all the hidden feelings they couldn't yet encounter. His grip on her arms loosened and she brought them around his neck, pulling him in closer. She nipped at his lip and he grinned against her lips before complying. It soon turned hasty and needy as hands became more actively involved. He was still firmly pressed against her, his hands on her hips.

Teresa accidentally groaned out loud as she felt his body instinctively respond to her minute touches. Patrick's head immediately shot up.

"We should stop," he suggested, his voice heavy and eyes dilated. She nodded beneath him and he removed himself from on top of her. Helping her to her feet, he leaned in and whispered: "Well, so much for never kissing me again."

She glared and they were back to their playful banter. The austerity of their actions only moments ago forgotten for now. She shoved him to the door and watched him leave grinning complacently, before heading to the bathroom.

A/N: This is really short, but I wanted to end it here. I hope you guys like it and review please. Next update would be sometime this weekend. Thanks for reading.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

WARNING: Rated M for obvious reasons.

Tonight was a huge event for the Jane family. It was their annual Christmas Eve Bash where all relatives, friends and friends of friends were all invited. Teresa could never comprehend it but it seemed to be an important thing, since Scarlett was busy ordering everyone around.

"Teresa, Dear. Can you help place these potatoes on the table for me?" Scarlett, dressed in her black, wide-spread dress, asked her. She nodded, taking the bowl from the woman and walked into the dining room. Immediately, she was overcome with the excited chatter from the Jane family. Placing the bowl on the table, Teresa walked around it and took her seat near Patrick.

Dinner finished fast, as everyone vacated the dining room for the living room. Snacks were shared, drinks were drank, and before anyone knew it, it was 11pm.

"Thanks for coming Lilyann." Scarlett hugged the blonde woman and closed the door on her last guest. I guess that's it for the night. Thanks for helping out, Teresa." She smiled warmly at her and then made her way upstairs.

After she left, Teresa turned to Patrick, "We should head to bed too." She said, as they were the only ones left.

* * *

His lips crashed down upon hers, drawing a whimper from the brunette. Her own hands wound their way around his neck, pulling him deeper into the kiss. A groan emitted from Patrick, as her tongue grazed roughly against his. His hands moved from her hips to the hem of her blouse, pushing up slightly and sliding his hands up her back. Teresa shivered from his touch, his hands hot on her skin.

"Patrick," she whispered, breaking away from his lips.

"Hm?"

"I – I – I've never," she sighed at his confused expression. "I've never had sex.. before."

And just as she feared, his hands stilled on her skin, retracting as if bitten. His eyes wide, apologetic. "I'm sorry. I didn't know, I –"

She silenced him with a finger to his lips, "No. I – I want to." And she did, she really did. She couldn't think of someone else she would want to give that part of her to. She loved him, knew she did for a while now, she accepted that. But saying it was something else. Teresa never was one to wear her heart on her sleeve. Ever since her mom died and her dad changed, she had always been careful of letting anyone in.

Patrick cupped her cheek, brushing his thumb over her lower lip. "You sure?"

Teresa smiled, grabbing his hands in hers, she nodded. "Yeah," she whispered. Her hands left his to clutch his jacket lapels between her fingers and pull his lips back to hers. It took him a little more than a fews seconds to respond, his hands cupping the back of her neck.

Teeth scraping, lips melding and tongues tasting, they stumbled to the bed, Teresa falling on her back and Patrick covering her with his body. His hands travelled from her neck to the buttons of her blouse. Teresa moaned when his fingers finally popped the last button on her blouse, his fingers brushing against her shoulders as he pushed it off her back and onto the floor. He broke the kiss, moving his mouth from hers to her exposed shoulder and nipped lightly whilst his hands made quick work on her bra. Letting the material fall to the ground, he pulled back to watch her. Her cheeks were both tinged a bright pink under his lust filled gaze.

"Patrick," she whined as she reached out to him. He grinned and allowed her to pull him back into a searing kiss. "Should I...?" She trailed off, guesturing to his still clothed body.

"No. It's okay, I can do it." he said, pulling away from her to pull his shirt over his head and push off his pants, leaving him in his shorts. Moving back over to her, Patrick attached his mouth to her neck, sucking on her pulse-point lightly. Teresa's hands, meanwhile, shakily meandered to his shoulders, pulling him closer. She was nervous, more than nervous: scared to death, but she had never been more sure of her decision to give herself to him.

Almost as if reading her mind, Patrick took her trembling hands in his and placed a feather light kiss on her knuckles, forcing her eyes to find his.

"Hey... Are you sure about this?"

Her green eyes bore into his, reassuring him with her dark pools before she nodded. He smiled, leaning down to kiss her forehead, then let his hands travel to her hips where her skirt lay in a mess on her knees. Keeping eye contact with her, he hooked her underwear with his fingers and pulled down, bringing her skirt with it.

He would never admit it, but Patrick was just as scared as she was. Granted he wasn't a virgin, although he wished he could have been to ease her worry. He didn't want her to regret anything she did with him, especially this. Was she simply worried of the action itself, or was she uncertain about everthing? Mainly, that was the reason he kept asking her if she was sure, she said she was and he was inclined to believe her, but was she really?

Drawing in a deep breath at the sight of her naked body beneath his, he mentally prayed that his body wouldn't get ahead of himself. Tonight was about her, about making this as comfortable and pleasurable as possible for her.

His eyes snapped back to hers to find her cheeks blazing red. Her arms drawing themselves across her chest.

He chuckled and leaned down so his lips barely brushed hers as he spoke. "You have nothing to be ashamed of, Tess." He then proceeded to uncross her arms from her chest, pulling her arms above her head as he did that previous morning. She began to protest when he silenced her with his mouth. Immediately, her protests turned to want as she pushed her mouth closer to his, needing to feel everything of him. Teresa closed her eyes while she losed herself in the heat of the kiss, her hands deciding to be bold and search out his boxers, pulling it off his hips. Patrick seemed to be surprised by her actions too, as he jumped when her fingers first made contact with his skin but he lifted himself off her so she could remove the material, anyways. After that was done, he returned to her body, finally bear of all clothing.

The heat of his skin on hers was immensely satisfying. She could feel herself becoming more turned on every second, the heat in her body rushing to settle in her lower belly. She wriggled underneath him, in an attempt to alleviate some of the pressure building up in her. It was strangely uncomfortable yet exciting.

"Patrick?"

"Hmm?" he murmured as his face was pressed into her neck, while his hands trailed over her already heated skin.

"I – I think I'm ready."

He broke away from her and searched her face for anything that would compel him to stop. After a while, he got off her, walking over to his discarded pant and pulled out his wallet, from which he produced a small, square, foiled packet. He reclaimed his position above her, watching her with his eyes as he ripped the packet and pulled out the thing. Grinning when she looked away while he placed it on him, he tugged her back to his chest when he was done.

Leaning down to kiss her lips gently, he once again inquired if she was sure. After receiving the same answer she had been giving him all night, he settled lower on her body, positioning himself, while his mouth sought out her ear.

Whispering, "I love you," in her ear for the first time, he didn't wait for her to respond as he decended his lips on hers for a languid kiss. But her eyes weren't closed like his were. Teresa was intently staring at him as they kissed. She couldn't bring herself to say those words to her, even though she knew in her heart she did love him back. It was just too hard for her at the moment. Pushing the thoughts to the back of her mind, she kissed him back, his hands in her hair, holding her head in place. She could feel him slowly moving to her entrance and moving ever so slowly into her.

Teresa groaned as he poked around her hymen. It was anything but pleasant and she was becoming restless when finally he broke through. Preparing herself for the worst, she felt a sharp sting, bringing tears prickling to her eyes. She felt him pause as he pulled away from her lips and looked at her. She nodded and he began slowly moving himself through.

She'd be lying if she said it didn't hurt, because it did. Her walls expanded as he made his way through her, muscles she didn't know she had, moving with her body to accompany him. A strangled cry left her lips when he finally made it all the way, well as far as he could go, and paused, waiting for her to relax.

Patrick gently pushed her bangs away from her forehead and kissed the side of her eyes, all the while whispering words into her ear. But she wasn't paying attention to them, her mind was on the sudsiding pain and the man who was now a part of her.

"You okay?" he asked her, after several minutes had passed without any movement from either of them.

"Yeah," she nodded, telling him with her eyes that it was okay for him to move now. Returning her nod, Patrick moved an inch out of her before moving back in, slowing bringing their bodies together again.

It wasn't so bad anymore. The pain had eased considerably, and slowly the pleasure began to flow through her with every thrust he made. Eventually, his movements increased somewhat in pace, drawing a moan from the woman beneath him. Instinctively, Teresa pushed her hips up to meet his in the slow dance they were indulging themselves in. He buried his head in the crook of her shoulder, groaning as he expanded a bit more in her. Her body rocking with his, she instinctively dug her nails in his back when the tightening in her belly increased to a wound coil, awaiting release.

Patrick groaned, the pleasure flowing through his every vein. Recoiling as if she'd hurt him, Teresa muttered a 'sorry'.

"No, it's okay. Really."

Blushing profusely, Teresa replaced her hands on his shoulders, running her hands up the back of his neck to tangle in his hair.

"Patrick, I can't-"

Her words dissipated in the air as another wave of pleasure forced her body to arch into his. She could feel the tightening in her, pull even stronger. Patrick then moved his head from the nape of her neck to one of her peaks, twirling it with his tongue as her body pushed incredibly closer to his before finally letting go.

All their movements stopped, their breathing shallow and raspy, coming out in puffs of air. Pulling himself out of her, Patrick pulled the bed spread over their bodies and placed a kiss to her forehead. All energy was used up from their bodies nd a long rest was what they both needed.

Hugging him close to her, Teresa let her head fall to chest before closing her eyes.

A/N: Finally updated this. Okay, before you judge me harshly on this, I have no experience on this area, so forgive whatever seems off to you. Thanks for reading :)


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